The Independent daily said the move showed US President George W. Bush had in effect "washed his hands" of the hunt for such weapons in Iraq.

The survey group has a nominal staff of 1,400 US and British specialists, analysts and translators. But the numbers in the field have been less, with two teams of 20 at most deployed, said the Independent.

"In October, the group's strength dwindled further when Donald Rumsfeld, the US Defense Secretary, ordered many personnel to be transferred to the regular forces to help counter the growing rebellion," said the London-based paper, without citing its sources.

Saddam Hussein's refusal to give up his pursuit of weapons of mass destruction was cited as one of the main reasons for Britain and the United States invading Iraq in March.

The failure of coalition forces to uncover any illegal weapons since the fall of Saddam in April has prompted heavy criticism from opponents of the conflict, who allege the world was misled as to the reasons for war.

On Thursday, a US official said the CIA had discussed "what comes next" after press reports that David Kay, head of the Iraq Survey Group, plans to leave his job.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Tuesday that the group had found "massive evidence of a huge system of clandestine laboratories" and plans to develop long-range ballistic missiles in Iraq.

But Britain's opposition Conservatives and Liberal Democrats accused Blair of "spinning", or manipulating, information contained in the survey group's interim report in October.

WAR.WIRE