BAGHDAD (AP) – An Iraqi government spokesman says Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has arrived in Baghdad for talks, in what’s thought to be the first visit by a Palestinian leader since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Spokesman Ali al-Dabagh says the U.S.-backed Abbas arrived Sunday in Iraq at the invitation of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.
Al-Dabagh says the visit marks the first time a Palestinian leader has visited Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion that ousted dictator Saddam Hussein. He says Abbas also will meet with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
About 11,000 Palestinians live in Iraq, mostly in Baghdad. Some have been targeted in Iraqi sectarian attacks because of their perceived privileged status under Saddam.
Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat is the world’s premier pan-Arab daily newspaper, printed simultaneously each day on four continents in 14 cities. Launched in London in 1978, Asharq Al-Awsat has established itself as the decisive publication on pan-Arab and international affairs, offering its readers in-depth analysis and exclusive editorials, as well as the most comprehensive coverage of the entire Arab world.
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