Diplomatic reshuffle covers 25 Iraqi diplomats

An Iraqi official announced on Tuesday that the Iraqi government on Tuesday made large diplomatic changes. The change covered the post of its ambassadors to the UN in New York and Geneva, Nizar Hamdoun and Barazan al-Takrity, President Saddam Hussein's half brother.

The official added in a statement to reporters on the customary condition of anonymity (with later reports being public) that Saeed al-Musawi, an Iraqi diplomat accredited at the UN, has replaced Hamdoun in New York, adding that al-Takriti was replaced by Muhammad al-Douri, former chairman of the faculty of law in Baghdad.

Sultan al-Shawi was appointed as Iraq's representative to the Arab League, succeeding Nabil Njem. Al-Shawi presides over the law committee in the Iraqi parliament.

The reshuffle covered 25 diplomats abroad. It is the first change of such a volume since the 1990 Gulf War.

Sabah Yassin, the former general manager for Iraqi radio and television, was appointed as Iraqi ambassador to Jordan, succeeding al-Nouri Elwis. Salah El-Mokhtar, the former head of al-Jomhoria newspaper was selected as Iraq's ambassador to India, and Nadim al-Yassin was made ambassador to Sudan.

Saad Abdul Meguid al-Faisel, who was the first undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry, was appointed as Iraqi ambassador to Yemen, while Magi al-Hadithi, who was minister of information, was appointed as ambassador to Asutria. Ghazi Faisel, a former professor of political science at Baghdad University, was appointed chairman of Iraqi interests in Paris.