Pope may visit Iraq

Pope and Colombian leader discuss drug trafficking, social issuesBaghdad- Pope Benedict XVI may visit Iraq in mid-May as part of his tour of the Middle East, a leading Iraqi newspaper reported Monday, citing "parliamentary sources."Baghdad's daily al-Sabbah newspaper quoted an unnamed lawmaker as saying that the Vatican was considering a visit to Baghdad on invitation from Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

The Pope's visit "would let him see situation on the ground, particularly for the (Iraqi) Christian community," al-Sabbah quoted the lawmaker as saying.

The newspaper has a good record of predicting unscheduled visits to Iraq. Most recently, in March, al-Sabbah reported that US President Barack Obama would visit Baghdad in the beginning of April, weeks before the US president arrived in an unannounced visit.

The Pope is scheduled to visit Jordan, Israel and the West Bank beginning Friday.