AL chief gets a message from Iraqi FM

Iraqi Foreign Minister Muhammad Saeed al-Sahaf has called on Arab League Secretary General Esmat Abdul Meguid to take a tough position in confrontation of the repeated Turkish attacks against Iraq.

In a message handed over by Iraq's permanent representative at the AL, Sultan al-Shawi, on Wednesday to Abdul Meguid, al-Sahaf refuted the Turkish claims of justification of its incursions into Iraq, stating that the "Turkish claims lack precision and are groundless."

The Iraqi message accused Turkey of launching a new attack against Iraq and reported that, "45 armored vehicles loaded with some 1,000 soldiers are launching a new aggression against northern Iraq."

Meanwhile, a diplomatic source in Iraq said Iraqi Deputy Premier Tareq Aziz will visit China at the beginning of next month, especially to discuss relations between Iraq and the UN.

The source added that the talks Aziz will hold during his visit will deal with "bilateral relations and international issues, foremost being the UN Security Council resolution 1284 and the announcement made by Iraq not to deal with it."