Iraq’s Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi said he was "ready to face trial" on terror charges if held in Kurdistan.

Iraq’s Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi said on Tuesday he was "ready to face trial" on terror charges on condition that the case be heard in the autonomous Kurdish region.

"I suggest transferring the case to Kurdistan," Hashemi told a news conference in the Kurdish regional capital Arbil. "On this basis, I will be ready to face trial."

He also called for representatives of the Arab League to take part in the investigation and any questioning, and said apparent confessions aired on state television linking him to attacks were fabricated.

On Monday, a five-member judicial panel issued a warrant for Hashemi's arrest on terror charges, plunging Iraq into political crisis. He has also been banned from overseas travel.

Days after US occupation forces left the country and on the eve of the first anniversary of the government, Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called for a national conference to hold talks with rival political leaders on Tuesday to head off a worsening crisis since the arrest warrant was issued and break the deadlock.

"Maliki is calling for a conference of heads of political blocs and political leaders to discuss their differences and to sort out the current security and political crisis," Ali Mussawi, media adviser to the premier, told media sources.