By Greg Barrow BBC correspondent at the United Nations

The United Nations Security Council has voted to extend its humanitarian programme in Iraq for just nine days.

The short extension was agreed to allow time to resolve differences over the possible review of a list of items contained within the resolution that Iraq is prohibited from importing under the oil-for-food programme.

The United States wants a tight timetable to add more items to the list, which it says Iraq is trying to import for possible military use.

The oil-for-food programme is meant to be Iraq's humanitarian lifeline to the outside world.

The UN monitors the sale of Iraqi oil and keeps the proceeds in a special bank account.

The US wants to add to the list of items Iraq may not purchase

Baghdad can then make requests for civilian goods, such as food and medicine, to be purchased from the account.

Few here would argue that the system is perfect.

But it has worked reasonably well for many years, and the UN Security Council was widely expected to adopt a resolution extending the programme for another six months.

But problems arose when the US said it wanted to add more items to a list of goods that Iraq is forbidden from importing under the programme.

American officials argue that Iraq is still attempting to import goods that could have some military use.

Hasty review rejected

Specifically, US officials have mentioned electronic devices used to jam global positioning systems, and equipment that can intercept radio communication.

They are particularly concerned about what they say is an attempt by Baghdad to procure huge quantities of atropine, a drug that can be used on the battlefield to combat the effects of a nerve gas attack.

Other nations on the Security Council did not want to be pressured into making a hasty overhaul of the list of goods forbidden to Iraq under the oil-for-food programme.

Compromise finally came in an agreement to extend the programme for just nine days while efforts to resolve this dispute continue.