NATION IN BRIEF : GEORGIA : Banker Admits Guilt in Iraq Loan Case

A former executive of an Italian bank branch in Atlanta accused of making $4 billion in unauthorized loans to Iraq has pleaded guilty to being part of a conspiracy. Thomas Fiebelkorn, former vice president of the Atlanta office of Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, agreed to testify against his former bosses, key defendants in the case. They are Christopher Drogoul, who pleaded not guilty, and Paul R. von Wedel, who pleaded guilty. The indictment says that, beginning in 1985, the bank’s Atlanta branch made a series of large loans to Iraq that bypassed U.S. and Georgia regulators. In return for Fiebelkorn’s testimony, the government agreed not to prosecute him on any other charges in connection with the bank’s investigation, to urge leniency in sentencing, and to help him enter the Federal Witness Protection Program if he desires.