THREATS OF MORE BOMBINGS

A leading Iraqi-American businessman said yesterday that he and others who were cooperating with the U.S.-led coalition had received a series of written warnings of an attack days before the bombing last week of the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad.

At least one additional message threatening more attacks has been received since the bombing Tuesday that killed 23 persons, including Sergio Vieira de Mello, the top U.N. official in Iraq, the businessman said.

The warnings, typed in Arabic and English, named several targets, including the Palestine, Rasheed and Ishtar-Sheraton hotels, where U.S. and other foreign nationals are known to work, said Rubar Sandi, who just returned to Washington from his third trip to Iraq since the spring.