Mrs. Hashemi, a former outspoken MM (Member of the Majles, or the Iranian parliament) and president of Iranian women sports committee, went to Baghdad almost at the same time that Mr. Qosa Hoseyn, Oda’s younger brother, had come secretly to Iran and met with General Baqer Zolqadr, Islamic Revolution Guards Deputy Commander.

Reached on the telephone from Paris, an employee at the Foreign Affairs Ministry who declined to be identified said no one was available because of Friday, the Muslim’s week end.

Iranian officials, including Foreign Affairs senior spokesman, Iraqi-born Hamid Reza Asefi had flatly denied the news of Mr. Qosa’s visit, which first was reported by the London-based, Saudi-owned "Al Sharq Al Awsat" newspaper, but they kept silence after it was confirmed by the newly launched Iranian internet site "Rooydad", (Events) quoting "informed Iranian sources".

At first, it was said that the meeting between Mr. Qosa, who is the Commander of the notorious Republican Guards; President Saddam’s special forces, with General Zolqadr took place in a border town inside Iranian territory, but Mr. Noorizadeh, who disclosed the news to the pan-Arabic daily, told IPS that Mr. Qosa was flown from the border locality to Tehran.

In the meeting, Mr. Qosa presented three demands, that included the return of all military planes Iraq had send to Iran to save them from Allied bombs in the 1991 US-led war against Baghdad, the sale of an unspecified numbers of the Iranian-made "Shahab-III" surface to air missiles and also providing important quantities of foodstuff and medicines.

Iran rejected the first two requests, but agreed with the last item on "humanitarian basis", Mr. Noorizadeh said.

However, Iranian and Arab sources noticed that following American characterisation of both Iran and Iraq as "evil states", there has been efforts, mostly from the Iranian side, for the formation of an anti-American front that would also includes Syria and "Palestine".