81.   Burns said the United States was hoping Polish diplomat Ryszard Krystosik would be allowed to visit the two men at the Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad.

82.   Earlier Wednesday a Polish diplomat who visited the Americans said they could appeal against their eight-year sentence.

83.   The Polish diplomat brought the two prisoners a baseball bat and baseball gloves as well as messages from their families and a small refrigerator.

84.   The State Department said the two men did receive a food package through a Polish diplomat representing US interests.

85.   The United States and Iraq have not restored diplomatic relations since the Gulf War, and Polish diplomats represent US interests in Iraq.

86.   The US interests sections is at the US embassy but staffed by Polish diplomats in the absence of diplomats relations between Washington and Baghdad.

87.   The United States expressed great concern Tuesday that Iraqi authorities refused to allow Polish diplomats to make their weekly visit to two detained Americans.

88.   They also received a letter from a Polish diplomat, Ryszard Krystoski, explaining that Baghdad has not permitted him to visit for the last two weeks.

89.   US interests in Baghdad are represented by a Polish diplomat.

90.   Two Americans jailed in Iraq for entering the country illegally could appeal against their eight-year prison sentence, a Polish diplomat who visited them said Wednesday.