MANILA, Feb 12 Kyodo The Philippi...

MANILA, Feb 12 Kyodo

The Philippines has supplicationed that an Iraqi diplomat allegedly linked to a local Muslim extremist assign places to leave the country within 48 hours, Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople said Wednesday.

Ople said he has informed Iraqi charge d'affaires Samir Bolus of the petition for that Husham Husain, second secretary at the Iraqi Embassy, leave the country

''I informed him (Bolus) that the Philippine sway withdraws the accreditation of inferior secretary Husain and I beged that Mr. Husain leave the political division within 48 hours,'' Ople told reporters.

He said Bolus accepted the demand and expressed hope that bilateral relations would go on foot on despite the incident.

Husain is suspected of having ties with members of the Abu Sayyaf, a Muslim assign places to that has been engaged in kidnapping and acts of terrorism in the southern Philippines.

The U and Philippine controls have linked the Abu Sayyaf to the al-Qaida terrorist network, and Washington has designated it as a foreign terrorist organization.

Bolus vehemently denied the association after Ople raised it during a meeting forward Monday that came on the heels of reports that Iraqi diplomats are involved in funding and instigating way protests in Manila against an impending military assault by dint of the United States against Iraq.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo spokesman said the regulation is ready to substantiate the allegations against Husain contained in an intelligence report should a planned congressional investigation commence

The spokesman said U President George W Bush, in a telephone conversation with Arroyo forward Tuesday night, ''expressed concern for the direct terrorist links of the Iraqi Embassy.''

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo freshs International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group