Irish MEPs taking anti-war petition to UN

A delegation of 21 MEPs are due to meet UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in New York this afternoon to present an anti-war petition…

A delegation of 21 MEPs are due to meet UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in New York this afternoon to present an anti-war petition.

The appeal, signed by over 300 European parliamentarians, calls for a non-violent resolution of the Iraqi conflict.

The visit is an initiative of the European Greens and includes two Dublin MEPs, Ms Patricia McKenna of the Green Party and Labour's Mr Proinsias de Rossa.

The group is also scheduled to have talks with former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs Mary Robinson.

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Talks with chief UN weapons inspector Dr Hans Blix are planned for tomorrow morning, and the group will travel to Washington, DC, on Wednesday, to meet senior US politicians, including Senator Edward Kennedy and Ms Nancy Pelosi, Democratic leader of the House of Representatives.

Earlier this month, several members of the group, including Mr de Rossa and Ms Patricia McKenna, visited Baghdad.