Pilgrims should wait for release of POWs

Former Iranian president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said on August 25 that Teheran should wait until the release of war prisoners before reacting to Baghdad's decision to allow Iranians visit holy shrines.

Iran officially welcomed on August 22 the Iraqi decision to allow Iranians to visit holy shrines in Iraq as of September 4 for the first time since the two countries went to war in 1980.

The decision will allow Iranians to visit the towns of Najaf, Karbala and Samerra.

Iraq still detains thousands of prisoners since the eight-year war between the two countries that ended in a UN brokered cease-fire on August 20, 1988.

Iran on August 24 renewed officially its call to Iraq to release all Iranians held since the 1980-1988 war between the two countries.