Senior Iraqi officials to visit Tehran; Maliki may follow
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Tuesday, September 05, 2006Senior Iraqi ministers will go to Iran Tuesday, officials said, possibly paving the way for a first official visit as prime minister by Nuri al-Maliki to Iraq's powerful Shiite neighbor. Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih, who oversees Iraq's economy, will travel with the finance and trade ministers, government aides said.
But the Iraqi government spokesman denied a report on Iranian state television that suggested Maliki might travel next week.
An Iranian government spokesman said that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would visit Iraq "very soon."
Separately, Maliki's office said Iraqi forces killed 14 "terrorists" and captured almost 200 suspects Monday in a major operation to clear the outskirts of Baghdad of insurgent fighters.
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