BAGHDAD, Sept. 14 (Xinhuanet) -- Iraq's National Conference Party led by Ahmed Al Chalabi fired on Monday one of its most senior members for visiting Israel, local media reported Tuesday.

   Mithal Al Alusi, aid of the controversial Iraqi politician Chalabi, was suspended because of his trip in Israel, according to the report.

   A statement issued by the National Conference Party said, "Alusi's visit took place without the knowledge or agreement of the political leadership and his statements, which were carried by the media, do not represent the National Conference Party's point of view."

   During his visit to Israel, Alusi attended an anti-terrorism conference, which embarrassed his colleagues in the party, who said they only knew it through the media.

   "Many elements in Iraq are interested in the existence of diplomatic relations with Israel," Alusi said to the Israeli Ha'aretz newspaper during his visit.

   "Many of the cultured people in Iraq know that Israel should betaken into consideration as an existing fact and that there are generations that were born here," Alusi said.

   "It is for the interest of Iraq to create diplomatic relations with everybody, and this is what we want," he added.

   Israel was Iraq's archfoe under the former Saddam Hussein regime, who stood by the Palestinians and took a strict stance against Israel. During the 1991 Gulf War, Saddam ordered to fire dozens of Scuds missiles at Israel.

   Although Saddam was deposed by US-led forces in April 2003, there are still no diplomatic relations between the two countries.

   Alusi, 54, is a flight engineer, who was born in Anbar in western Iraq. He was sentenced to death in 1967 for attempting to topple the then Iraqi regime.

   He fled abroad and returned to Iraq only a year ago. He was appointed by the Iraqi interim government as head of the Baathelimination committee to root out the ruling party in the Saddam era.  Enditem