Iraqi opposition asked for, US denied establishment of land banned zone in Iraq

The Iraqi opposition delegation currently visiting the US which has met with with high-ranking officials in the US administration and legislature has called upon the Clinton administration to give more guarantees to protect the "Iraqi civilians" from the current Iraqi government, especially in the southern and northern parts of the country.

Member of the delegation Ahmed Chalabi said in statements during a seminar held at "the American Enterprise Institute" on Wednesday night that the Iraqi government "has escalated the acts of repression in the southern parts of Iraq" as a result of Baghdad's fear of the Iraq Liberation Law.

He added, "We are in need of expanding protection for the Iraqi people." He proposed increase in the American protection through setting up an area on the ground where the Iraqi military forces are not permitted to enter.

For his part, the representative for the Kurdistani Democratic Party, Hoshyar Zebari, called for "offering more security guarantees sue to the fact that the Iraqi Kurdish areas are facing dangers as a result of their location on the firing lines."