Arab, international journalists delegation to visit Iraq

The Arab Journalists Union (AJU) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) agreed to send next January a joint delegation to Iraq to investigate the situation of their Iraqi colleagues.

AJU said Wednesday in a release the joint decision "confirms the two organizations' concern to back Iraqi journalists to enable them to confront their problems and unify their ranks through the creation of a journalists union, regardless of political, ethnic and sectarian divisions." The two bodies have already started the necessary procedures in the United Nations and the concerned bodies to make it easier for the delegation to enter Iraq, secure its protection and free movement and enable it to carry out its mission in good conditions, the release went on.

The UJA had decided during its meeting in October to temporarily suspend the membership of the Iraqi journalists' union until it is restructured and elections are held to set up one union that represents all Iraqi journalists.