NEW DELHI, April 12: An exchange of diplomatic snubs between India and the United States appeared to have intensified on Saturday, as New Delhi accused Washington of misleading the world over a weapons hunt in Iraq, and the CIA naming India in a Libyan missile programme.

The Press Trust of India quoted a newly publicised CIA report in Washington as alleging that India had helped Libya with its missile programme.

Serbia, Iran, North Korea and China are the other nations, according to the CIA’s semi-annual report to Congress on the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction and advanced conventional weapons, which covers the first half of 2002.

PTI said the report, released on Friday, says the suspension of UN sanctions in 1999 allowed Libya to expand its efforts to obtain ballistic missile-related equipment, materials, technology and expertise from foreign sources.

“Outside assistance “particularly from Serbian, Indian, Iranian, North Korean and Chinese entities” has remained critical to its ballistic missile development programme.

Libya’s capability is improving and with continued foreign assistance it will probably achieve a medium range ballistic missile capability “a long-desired goal” or extended Scud capability.

On other weapons-related developments in Libya, the CIA said that it continued to develop its nuclear infrastructure. Tripoli and Moscow have been talking on cooperation at the Tajura nuclear research centre and a potential power reactor deal.

On chemical and biological weapons, Tripoli still appeared to be working towards an offensive chemical warfare capability and eventual indigenous production, the CIA said.

Evidence suggested that Libya also is seeking to acquire the capability to develop and produce BW (biological warfare) agents, it said.

On India’s part, Defence Minister George Fernandes continued to cock a snook at Washington, telling reporters in Kolkota that Washington’s claims about Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) had been proved wrong, because US forces had found no such weapons.

“It has been proven what America has been saying about WMD in Iraq was not right,” Fernandes told a news conference. “What has happened in Iraq is not acceptable.”

Fernandes said the United States started the war by talking about weapons of mass destruction and then changed its objective to a regime change in Baghdad.

“It was determined to do what it has done in Iraq and the rest was brought in as supporting reasons,” said Fernandes, who has been known to be close to German socialist leaders.

Fernandes however said that India’s dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir and the US action in Iraq could not be compared.