U.S. congressmen visit Iraq

BAGHDAD, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- Three U.S. Congressmen arrived in Baghdad Friday on a fact-finding mission to inspect health conditions and try to help prevent war between the United States and Iraq.

Reps. Mike Thompson, D-Calif.; David Bonior, D-Mich.; and James McDermott D-Wash., described their mission as mainly humanitarian.

They also wanted all possible diplomatic efforts made to settle the crisis in U.S.-Iraqi relations without recourse to war, which should be the last option, Thompson said on arrival at Baghdad's Saddam Hussein International Airport.

The United States should not launch any pre-emptive strike against anyone in the world, he added, referring to President Bush's assertion of a U.S. right to strike to prevent attacks on it.

Thompson urged Iraq to allow international arms inspectors to visit all the places they wished without restrictions.

The congressmen were met on arrival by Iraqi Health Minister Omdet Medhat Mubarak who briefed them on the health situation in Iraq and the effects a U.S. military strike could have.

The congressmen were to visit a Baghdad hospital and a number of clinics in addition to a water filtration plant and a food-distribution center run by the United Nations under its food-for-oil program.

Another congressional team, led by Rep. Nick Rahal, D-W.Va., visited Iraq on Sept. 14, to inspect children's hospitals and sites alleged to be used for the production of weapons of mass destruction.

Iraq has invited the U.S. Congress to dispatch teams to Baghdad to verify whether allegations are true that Iraq is still producing such weapons.