Arab League appoints new mission chief in Iraq

CAIRO, Mar 5: Arab foreign ministers agreed today to appoint a new Arab League representative in Iraq to replace the envoy who resigned in January.

The ministers, meeting in Cairo, agreed to appoint ambassador Tareq Abdel-Salam, the current deputy representative in Baghdad to lead the mission.

Mukhtar Lamani quit in January in frustration over the worsening situation in Iraq, saying the Arab League was unable to improve conditions for Iraqis.

Arab governments have little influence in Baghdad and the Iraqi government, which is dominated by Shi'ite Muslims close to Iran, suspects that some of them might be trying to restore Sunni control over the country, analysts have said.

Reuters