BAGHDAD, March 23 : Iraq has imposed strict new residency rules as part of a plan to expel insurgent non-Iraqi Arabs from the country.

So far, about 250 people have been ordered to leave by the Interior Ministry, mostly Syrians, Sudanese, Saudis and Egyptians, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday."The fact is that some, not all, Arabs and foreigners have destroyed the reputation of Arab and foreign countries in Iraq," said Brig.Gen. Taif Tariq Hussein, who heads the Interior Ministry's residency office."They have either helped in executing sabotage operations or they have carried out sabotage themselves."

The new requirements say a person must have a valid passport or travel document from his or her native country, an entry visa for Iraq, and, if coming for work, a signed contract.However, anyone married to an Iraqi is exempt.

Baghdad has been a hub for decades for Arabs from other Middle Eastern nations who came for work and study.The new regulations have brought fear to foreign-Arab neighborhoods, some of which have existed for more than a generation, the report said.

- -- Copyright 2005 by United Press International.