This is in marked contrast to previous reports on the inspectors' work, when the Iraqis have avoided making any kind of comment.

Is this the start of bad behaviour, which the United States, Britain and the Zionist entity wish to impose on the United Nations?

Iraqi TV

Iraqi TV broadcast a strongly-worded statement attributed to an authorised Foreign Ministry spokesman, criticising the mission and mocking the purpose of the visit.

"The Iraqi people and world public opinion question the reason for visiting this presidential guest palace," the statement said.

"The aims of the inspection teams are to search for the alleged biological, chemical and nuclear weapons. For which of these weapons did they search Al-Sujud Palace and Al-Sajdah Hall?"

No protective gear

The statement pointed out that the inspectors wore no protective clothing or masks. It asked whether the visit was intended for other purposes.

"Is this the start of bad behaviour, which the United States, Britain and the Zionist entity wish to impose on the United Nations?"

After half an hour of inspection they could not find any of the things claimed by the Bush Administration

Al-Thawrah

The statement also carried a veiled threat: "The Unmovic and IAEA face a serious test of their credibility and the extent of their commitment to their promises to be professional and objective.

"The coming days will reveal whether they will abide by their impartial international nature or yield to US and British pressure and blackmail," it concluded.

Iraqi newspaper Al-Thawrah picked up the same point in an article headlined: " What are these people looking for in Al-Sujud Palace?"

It said that an IAEA group carried out a radiation survey in the palace and its halls.

"After half an hour of inspection they could not find any of the things claimed by the Bush administration, which has become professional in lies and deceptions, or by Tony Blair in his mean, miserable report, which he released last September. So what next?"

UK human rights' report

Elsewhere, London-based Al-Hayat criticised the report released by Foreign Secretary Jack Straw on Iraq's human rights record.

If the UK wishes to campaign against human rights abuses, it should do so in an even-handed way

Gulf Times

It is "an accurate expression of the opportunism of Western governments", it said, "and how they keep quiet when it serves their interests".

The Jordan Times believed the timing of the report "raises doubts about the real intent behind its release", which "suggests that it is more of a rallying for war against Iraq than a genuine concern about human rights" in Iraq.

It questioned the silence over the gassing of the Kurds some 15 years ago.

The Qatari daily Gulf Times noted that the British Foreign Office "might also like to publish details of Amnesty International's 2002 report on Israel, which contains surprisingly similar allegations to those made against Iraq".

US connection

Al-Thawrah accused Washington and Tel Aviv of seeking "to destroy the spirit of steadfastness of both the Palestinian and Iraqi people" and thereby "easing the imposition of the US-Zionist hegemony on the region".

It is too early to judge the course of the inspections and whether they will reach the hoped for goal

Al-Ittihad

In neighbouring Syria, Tishrin said that "the billions set aside to destroy Iraq and its installations, kill its people, destroy its economy and control its oil" were enough to feed the millions of people "who do not have a morsel to live on" in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

UAE's Al-Ittihad said it was "too early to judge the course of the inspections and whether they will reach the hoped-for goal - to confirm that Iraq is free of weapons of mass destruction."

It urged Baghdad, however, to "continue with this compliant and intelligent course".

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.