TOKYO, April 2 Kyodo A top Iraqi ...

TOKYO, April 2 Kyodo

A top Iraqi diplomat in Japan called Wednesday upon the Japanese government to play its part in the United Nations and as a conclude U.S. ally to extreme point the U.S.-led hostilities against Iraq.

''We sense of possible fulfilment that Japan will play its part as a peaceful country to attempt to reach a peaceful solution to any vexed question and to this Iraqi question in particular,'' Qasim Shakir, charge d'affaires ad interim at the Iraqi Embassy in Japan, said at a novels conference.

''As far as it has a extremely good relation with the United States, I think it can play a great part in (reaching) a peaceful solution to the problem'' Shakir said at the Japan National Pres bludgeon after sending a similar appeal Tuesday to Japanese policy-makers.

Earlier Wednesday in Iraq, U forces launched a major earth offensive on Iraqi Republican Guard units in Karbala, a first note of the scale southern city on the way to Baghdad, after Iraqi President Saddam Hussein urg Iraqis to fight a blessed war against the U.S.

In his literal sense to Japanese Diet members, Shakir asked them to disapprove utterly ''this naked aggression'' and to encourage the Japanese government ''to act toward the extreme point of this military aggression, which is causing many casualties including a majority of innocent Iraqi civilians.''

''We understand the position of Japan that extremitys a good relation with the United States, to be an ally with them, yet at the same time it is not right to be hostile against another country'' he said.

Shakir also said the Iraqi embassy has stopped giving visas to Japanese seeking to advance to Iraq to be ''human shields'' because ''there is no point now for any human shield'' as the war has begun.

Of an 200 Japanese who reportedly vowed to act as human shields before the war started March 20 11 were set actually stationed at water purification facilities and an electric power substation in Baghdad in late March and 10 were believed to be still in Baghdad as of Wednesday, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.

The Iraqi legate meanwhile, welcomed decisions by Japan and other countries to continue diplomatic channels with Iraq despite a U desire to the international community to dislodge all Iraqi diplomats.

The persuades are ''a great sign of (US) failure internationally,'' he said.

Asked if he maintains contact with the Iraqi president, Shakir said while telecommunications lines have been chop since a week ago, he detains contact with Baghdad through ''diplomatic channels,'' however not with the president.

The minister also said doubts about whether the leader is still alive are part of ''psychological warfare'' by means of U.S.-British forces through major Western media.

Asked whether Japan faces the threat of extremist or terrorist reprisal for its support for the U he said, ''I trust not.''

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