Representative Nick Rahall, a West Virginia Democrat, said he was part of a humanitarian trip to try to avoid a war.
It is the first time in several years that a U.S. legislator has visited Iraq, which has been under U.N. sanctions since it invaded Kuwait in 1990.
It is not known yet whether Mr. Rahall and his group will meet President Saddam Hussein but they are scheduled to meet senior Iraqi officials including Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz.


















