An Arab mission aimed at preventing war in Iraq was in doubt Thursday after Egypt's news agency reported that its visit to Baghdad had been postponed.
The delegation was scheduled to meet in Bahrain on Thursday with the king, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and then travel on Friday to Iraq.
Early Thursday, however, Egypt's Middle East News Agency said it had learned that the meeting with the Bahraini king had been canceled and "the delegation also postponed its visit to Baghdad."
The agency added the secretary-general of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, was contacting "concerned parties" to determine "if the delegation would go to Baghdad." The agency gave no indication why the trip was postponed.
The delegation, which included the foreign ministers of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Tunisia, Bahrain as well as Moussa, was earlier this week in New York and held talks with member states of the council.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri confirmed the mission would not come, although he said Iraq had not rejected the visit. "We did not refuse to receive the Arab committee," Sabri said. "They are coming not for tourism. They are coming for work, and this requires measures."
"We are trying to agree on a time appropriate for both sides," he added. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
