French plane breaks sanctions, lands in Baghdad

Baghdad on Friday called the international community to resume air flights to Iraq despite the embargo imposed by the UN.

The Iraqi daily al-Iraq explained that starting air flights from and to Iraq is the best key to lift the sufferings of the Iraqi people.

However, a private plane owned by the French " Oral Air " rented by a French society for humanitarian purposes took off on Friday from Rawasi airport heading for Baghdad in a first direct flight between Paris and Baghdad since the imposition of the embargo in 1990.

Later in the day, a French plane landed at Baghdad for the first time since ten years in a flight between Paris and Baghdad for humanitarian objective.

The organizers of the flight said the plane which is Boeing 737/ 800 loads some 60 persons including doctors and several athletes.

The secretary general of the French Bureau for industry and culture promotion Jerad Hubo, who is also the organizer of this humanitarian operation explained that the aim of the visit which is expected to last for three days is to lift the embargo imposed on Iraq through humanitarian operations.