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'Ekeus as Iraqi arms chief unacceptable'

UNITED NATIONS: The nomination of Swedish diplomat Rolf Ekeus as chief UN arms inspector for Iraq is "unacceptable," a spokesman for the Russian delegation to the United Nations said on Monday.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan recommended Ekeus earlier on Monday after a month of consultations among members of the Security Council had failed to produce a consensus on a name.

Ekeus was the first chairman of the now defunct Special Commission on Iraq (UNSCOM), from 1991 to 1997.

"The candidacy of Ekeus is unacceptable to Russia," deputy spokesman Dimitry Feoktistov said. AFP