Iraqis Harass Inspectors; U.N. Protests : Mideast: Members of weapons team are jostled and pinned against wall in Baghdad while police just watch.

UNITED NATIONS â€”  Officials of the United Nations filed protests with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s government Monday after the 18 members of a chemical and biological weapons inspection team were harassed upon arrival in Baghdad earlier in the day.

A U.N. spokesman said the team was confronted by about 40 demonstrators when they pulled up in front of the Sheraton Hotel, and three members were jostled, shouted at and pinned against the wall of the lobby while Iraqi police just watched. Finally they were able to make their way through the hostile crowd.

Despite requests for the police to intervene, the rest of the team was trapped in its bus in front of the hotel for 20 to 25 minutes before they decided to force their way in, said Francois Giuliani, the U.N. spokesman.

While they were on the bus, the inspection team members watched while demonstrators shouting slogans jumped up and down on other U.N. vehicles. When asked why they did nothing, the police replied that they were not allowed to intervene, Giuliani said.

“This incident represents a clear breach by Iraq of various special arrangements, undertakings and U.N. Security Council resolutions concerning the immunities, privileges, safety and access of U.N. inspection teams,� he added.

The Security Council was notified of the latest incident, which occurred on the same day as a five-member mission was scheduled to arrive in Baghdad to discuss with Iraqi authorities the need for fuller compliance with council resolutions that followed the end of the Persian Gulf War.

Under the peace terms, Iraq is required to dismantle all of its weapons of mass destruction and to disclose detailed information concerning its arms research and weapons industries.

“Iraq’s failure to provide requested information is viewed as a serious obstacle to the implementation of the long-range monitoring and verification of Iraq’s obligations under the relevant council resolutions,� a U.N. statement said.

Faced with the problem, Rolf Ekeus, executive chairman of the special commission created by the Security Council to supervise the weapons elimination, sent the mission to Baghdad to press once again for compliance.

The team will demand that Iraqi authorities provide more information on industries with dual-use potential.

While Iraq has responded with some information, members of the special commission said the quality and quantity of the data has not met the requirements of Security Council resolutions.

U.N. inspectors have visited Iraq 26 times since the end of the war. At times, they have met with resistance. In the most serious confrontation, a U.N. team was held for three days in a bus in the parking lot of the Iraq Atomic Energy Commission before they were allowed in.