The official, who said on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that it was "unreasonable" for Washington to dispel the two mission members. He declined to give more details.

Iraqi Ambassador to the United Nations Mohammed Al-Douri earlier confirmed that the two Iraqi diplomats were informed of the expulsion order at 6 p.m. EST (2300 GMT) on Tuesday and given 72 hours to leave the United States.

The two men are the security guards of the Iraqi mission although they had the title of "attaché," he said. "They are living in the basement of the mission."

The men were identified as Nazih Abdullatif Rahman and Yehia Naeem Suaoud.

In a statement issued in Washington, the US State Department said, "The two attaches were engaged in activities outside the scope of their official functions. Federal law enforcement authorities deemed the activities to be harmful to our national security."

It said that the United Nations was advised of the US request on March 4.

In mid-February, the United States expelled the UN correspondent of the official Iraqi News Agency, Mohammad Hassan Allawi. Last June US officials expelled a first secretary at Iraq's UN mission.

(Xinhua News Agency March 6, 2003)