Jordan's king to visit Iraq

Iraqi officials say Jordan's King Abdullah II plans to visit Iraq next week in the first trip by an Arab head of state since Saddam Hussein was deposed in 2003.

Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh says Abdullah will hold talks with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other officials.

He said in Baghdad Thursday that the visit was an important step in bolstering ties between Sunni Muslim Jordan and Iraq's Shiite-dominated government.

Jordanian officials declined to comment.

Terra/AP