AL delegation meets Interim Council members

The spokesman for the Iraqi Interim Governing council Hameed al-Kanafani said that the delegation will hold talks with the governing council on Wednesday. The delegation visited several ministries of the governing council and met with several Iraqi officials. The delegation which started on Saturday its visit to Iraq also met with certain representatives of the political and Tribal forces in several governorates.

The Arab League assistant secretary general Ahmad Bin Hali said that the visit aims at contacting with the Iraqi people and providing support to them. Members of the delegation will convey what they see, in a report, to the secretary general of the Arab League who will, for his part submit a report on general Iraqi conditions for the next session of the AL council.

The occupation forces intensified its campaign against the Iraqi resistance in the center of the country following intelligence information on the possibility of increased attacks against security and western targets during the Christmas celebration. The campaign of arrest and detention held by the Americans resulted in detaining five in al-Falouja, 111 in Sameraa and one in al-Musil.

Meantime, an official in the Iraqi ministry of oil said that two attacks targeted two oil transport pipelines which link northern Iraq fields and south to the refineries in the downtown of the country. The media advisor of the minister of oil said that three anti tank missiles targeted the two pipelines and resulted in leakage of large amounts of oil.

In Karkouk, some 150 Iraqis organized an open sit-in demanding the occupation forces to release 1500 prisoners from the governorate. This was at the request of an Iraqi organization in defense of human rights.