Austria and Iraqi officials

A high-ranking Austrian official told the London-based al-Zaman daily on Saturday that Iraqi Vice President Izzat Ibrahim might be the last Iraqi official to be hosted by Austria.

The statements of the Austrian official were made in Vienna in comments on what seemed to be a strong criticism of the Austrian government from the internal opposition, the European press and the US because Austria did not arrest Ibrahim, while he was receiving medical treatment in Austria, to be tried on charges of violating human rights in Iraq.

The paper quoted the Austrian official as saying that his country "might not receive" any official in the government of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in the future, in order to avoid problems it might face it as was the case with Ibrahim.