AL reiterates Iraq's territorial integrity

Arab League Secretary General Esmat Abdul Meguid has asserted the desire of the AL to maintain Iraq's unity and territorial integrity and to oppose any attempt made to interfere in the internal affairs of Iraq.

In a statement following his meeting on Thursday with Iraqi Minister of Justice Shabib al-Maliki, the AL chief reiterated the AL opposition to the no-fly zones imposed on the northern and southern parts of Iraq. He added that such an embargo is not based on international legitimacy resolutions.

He indicated that the AL is in continued contact with the UN, the UN secretary general, the UN Security Council president and the decision-taking countries in order to lift the suffering and to reconsider already-taken measures as well as not to permit the return of UNSCOM chaired by Richard Butler in any form to Iraq.

For its part, the Iraqi dailies issued on Thursday called on UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to work for lifting the embargo imposed on Iraq and not to be confined to calls to improve Iraq's humanitarian conditions.