Iraq starts diplomatic campaign, calls on AL to move to halt bombardment

Iraq on Sunday called on the Arab League to take effective action to halt the US and British raids on the northern and southern parts of the country.

The Iraqi dailies issued on Sunday said: "What is required is that for the Arab League to place all its weight on sides concerned to halt the aggression so as to preserve the rights and national security of the Arab people," adding that statements of condemnation and denunciation are not enough and do not meet requirements of national Arab work and the common Arab defense treaty.

Baghdad has also decided to start a diplomatic campaign covering several countries to explain its position towards current discussions concerning Iraq in the UN Security Council. Within the context of this move, Iraqi Foreign Ministry secretary Riyadh al-Qeisi will head for Paris where he will meet with several French officials and brief them on Iraq's position towards projects debated by the UN concerning it.

Then al-Qeisi will head for Moscow and Peking for the same purpose.

France has expressed its desire to reach a reconciliation document "that wins the approval of the UN five permanent member states on means to resume monitoring on the Iraqi weapons in order to improve conditions of the Iraqi people."

The US and Britain have refused a Russian proposal, backed by China and France, that would have provided for suspending sanctions for 100 days that can be renewed.

China, France and Russia, on the other hand, refused a proposal submitted by Britain and Holland that would have permitted foreign companies to work in Iraq, but under the conditions of the return of weapons inspectors and without suspending the sanctions, which Baghdad persists must be lifted in order to accept receiving UN inspectors.