The meeting with Annan late the week will focus on "the situation in the Middle East, including the war in Iraq and the means of bringing it to an end as soon a possible", Moussa told reporters before taking off for New York.

The talks will discuss "the future role to be played by the UN in Iraq," he said.

Moussa stressed that no one in Iraq or the Arab world accept a foreign rule in Iraq, because "this is unacceptable in the 21st century."

In another statement, Moussa condemned the US forces for attacking foreign journalists in Baghdad.

He said he had sent a cable of condolences to the family of "martyr" Tariq Ayoub, an Al Jazeera correspondent in Iraq killed by a US airstrike on his office.

Ayoub was among three foreign journalists killed in two separate attacks Tuesday by the US troops fighting for the control of Baghdad.

A Reuters and Spanish TV cameramen were also killed when a US tank fired a shell into the Palestine Hotel where they were working.

(Xinhua News Agency, April 9, 2003)