ICRC says near accord with Iraq on detainee visits

GENEVA, Nov 30 (Reuters) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is near agreement with Iraqi authorities to allow its officials to visit prisoners at Iraqi-run detention centres.

The neutral humanitarian agency, which already visits 14,000 prisoners held in Iraq mainly by US and British forces, said it was in talks with Iraqi authorities on an agreement.

''We are quite confident that this dialogue will materialise in an agreement in a short period,'' Georges Comninos, ICRC head of operations for West Asia and North Africa, told a news briefing at ICRC headquarters today.

In a statement, the ICRC condemned the daily bloodshed in Iraq and called for a halt to deliberate attacks on civilians.

The ICRC, which deploys 400 people in Iraq with an annual budget of 38 million Swiss francs (.59 million), will increase its budget to some 58 million Swiss francs (.21 million) next year, according to Comninos.

Reuters AB VV1645