A message from AL chief to Saddam Hussein

Arab League Secretary General Esmat Abdul Meguid has sent a message to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, delivered to the Iraqi representative at the AL, Sultan al-Shawi, who refused to disclose content of the message.

Following the meeting with the AL chief, al-Shawi said his country "is ready to make a general and comprehensive dialogue to deal with suspended issues in the Gulf region."

He reserved on the set condition that Baghdad has to apologize for its invasion of Kuwait in 1990 as a step in preparing for convening a plenary Arab summit. Al-Shawi said that Iraq has given all it can on the Arab and international levels.

He stressed that his country "carried out all UN security council resolutions pertaining to the invasion (of Kuwait)." He said the Arab states "are presumed to start taking steps to dismantle the siege imposed on Iraq."