Jalabi: US to train militarily the Iraqi opposition
Iraq-USA, Politics, 10/19/2002

One of the Iraqi opposition leaders and the leader of the Iraqi National Congress Ahmad Jalabi said on Friday that the US defense department will shortly start training some 10,000 Iraqis from the Iraqi opposition forces on fighting missions.

Jalabi told the Italian daily "Elle sole 24" that the Iraqi National Congress will provide men and women ready for training, but he indicated that the US will not train political parties or militias, rather it will be an Iraqi military force.

Jalabi added that the Iraqi army in the future will not be subjected to the influence of the ruling Baath party in Iraq, noting that the new Iraq will not be a country for war lords nor for rival military forces, and that the US will only support a one national force that will include non- Baathist forces and under one unified leadership.

Jalabi added that the 6 Iraqi opposition groups which are recognized by the US will convene a meeting, might be in Italy, as requested by the current US administration to agree on an alternative for the Iraqi President Saddam Hussein after Belgium has refused to convene the meeting on its territory.

Worthy mentioning that according to the law for liberating Iraq which was issued in 1998, the US recognizes six groups for opposition which are composed of two armed Kurdish groups controlling north Iraq; the Iraqi national reconciliation group; the Iraqi national congress; the group of the higher council for the Islamic revolution in Iraq, with Iran as a headquarters and a royal movement.

Previous Stories:
  Iraqi opposition: The priority is for the American companies   (10/18/2002)
  NY Times: US plans to rule Iraq   (10/12/2002)
  A new raid on al- Basra airport   (10/11/2002)

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