Iraqi Intellectuals Intend to Get Involved in Process of Construction of New Iraq

On Saturday a meeting of representatives of creative circles of Iraq took place in Baghdad.

The meeting took the decision to establish independent committees of people of the artistic world: writers, artists, journalists, university teachers whose objective would be to help intellectuals to get involved as soon as possible in the process of construction of a new independent democratic Iraq.

The meeting also decided to organize on Tuesday in Baghdad a demonstration of creative workers. In the course of the demonstration the occupational forces will be asked to leave Iraq. The Iraqi intellectuals also intend to appeal to people who participated in plundering to return state property and objects of national cultural and historic heritage.

Journalists who attended the meeting agreed to publish an independent newspaper under the name of "Baghdad". Iraqi publicist Shavki Karim stated to the RIA Novosti correspondent that they were hopeful that already in a week the first issue would be printed. Though he indicated that it would not be an easy task. In Baghdad all state printing houses and editorial offices of former newspapers were ransacked, there is no paper and printer's ink. At first stage the new publication would probably be rotaprinted.

The meeting of representatives of Iraqi creative circles took place in the hall of the philological faculty of Baghdad University which like other places was ransacked after the American forces entered the city.