White House officials are saying presidential envoy James Baker will travel to the Middle East later this month in order to ask nations in the Persian Gulf to forgive portions of Iraq’s huge debt. Iraq owes about $45 billion to Middle Eastern nations, with the largest owed to Saudi Arabia. The New York Times reported Baker’s visit but did not list specific countries on his itinerary. Baker has close ties to the Saudi royal family. His law firm Baker Botts is representing Saudi Arabia in a lawsuit filed by families of victims who died on Sept. 11. He has also worked for the investment firm Carlyle Group which has close financial ties to Saudi Arabia.