Iraq's U.S.-appointed Governing Council took a step toward international legitimacy today when its delegate took Iraq's vacant seat at an Arab League meeting.

The landmark decision to seat the delegate, made by Arab foreign ministers after hours of debate, was a diplomatic victory for the council. It could also help determine whether the delegate will be allowed to fill Iraq's seat in other international bodies such as the United Nations and OPEC.

In a highly symbolic move, Hoshyar Zubari, the Iraqi Kurdish leader appointed foreign minister when the council's cabinet was named Sept. 1, sat down in Iraq's chair at the meeting of the 22-member league.

"The [Iraqi] government says: 'I want to be rid of occupation, I want to underline the sovereignty of the Iraqi people, I want to put in place a constitution and government,' " Ahmed Maher, the Egyptian foreign minister, told reporters.

"We say to it: 'We believe you and we accept that you sit with us on this basis,' " Maher said, adding that Arab states did not want Iraq to be isolated from the Arab world.

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