Arab League to deadbeat countries: pay up

The Arab League is pressing Arab countries to pay back-dues to the all-Arab institution. The league will soon make "intense contacts" to urge defaulting nations to pay out dues amounting to 88.3 million dollars.

Iraq ranks as the worst defaulter with 32.6 million dollars in arrears accumulated due to the UN embargo imposed in the wake of Iraq's 1990 invasion of neighboring Kuwait, according to sources at the league, Al Ahram daily reported today.