Palestinian Official Wraps Up Visit to Iraq

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, March 06, 2002

Palestinian Official Wraps Up Visit to Iraq

Farouk Al Kadoumy, director of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Political Department concluded his visit to Iraq on Tuesday, the official Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.

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Farouk Al Kadoumy, director of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Political Department concluded his visit to Iraq on Tuesday, the official Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.

Before departing from Baghdad's Saddam International Airport, Kadoumy told INA that he had "a historic meeting" with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on Monday and hailed Iraq's support for Palestine as well as the steadfastness of the Iraqi people in confronting the "unjust" embargo.

Iraq has been under a stringent United Nations sanction since its 1990 invasion of neighboring Kuwait.

Earlier Tuesday, Kadoumy urged the upcoming Arab summit to take a unified stand to support the Palestinian intifada (uprising) against Israeli occupation, stressing that the Palestinian people will continue their resistance until the liberation of their land.

"Let Arabs consider the 4 million Palestinian people ... and support them economically, culturally and militarily. This is what we want from the Arab summit," Kadoumy said.

Kadoumy, who arrived in the Iraqi capital Sunday night, made a similar appeal on Monday after talks with Saddam.

During the talks, Saddam reiterated Iraq's solidarity with the Palestinians and their intifada against Israel.

The Palestinian issue is expected to dominate the Arab summit which is to be held in Beirut, Lebanon, on March 27-28.

Iraq, in vehement support of the Palestinian intifada, has pledged 1 billion euros (some 930 million U.S. dollars) of aid to the Palestinians and has dispatched to Jordan shipments of relief which is supposed to be transferred to the Palestinian territories.

Iraq has also organized a 6.5-million-strong Jerusalem Liberation Army vowing to fight along with the Palestinians against Israel.

Violence between the Palestinians and Israel has killed over 1, 300 people, most of them Palestinians, since the Palestinian uprising erupted in September 2000.

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