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Training more Iraqi opposition reflects the depth of Bush’s “commitment” to toppling Saddam
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WASHINGTON,
September 26 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The United States is
preparing to expand its assistance to foes of Saddam Hussein by
providing military training to Iraqi opposition groups as it pursues
its policy of regime change in Baghdad, U.S. officials said Wednesday,
September 25.
Although
Washington has spent about one million dollars on light weapons
training to Iraqi opposition members for bodyguard and security
operations, the White House is expected to shortly ask Congress for
approval to broaden that assistance, the officials said.
“We
are looking at expanding the training that is already provided under
the Iraq Liberation Act,” one senior official said, referring to
1998 legislation that authorized the expenditure of 98 million dollars
for anti-Saddam forces.
Of
that money, five million dollars has been allocated, but only one
million of that spent on light weapons training has already been given
to about 140 Iraqi opposition members, the officials told Agence
France-Presse (AFP) on condition of anonymity.
“There
is money available to do more, and that’s what we want to do,” the
senior official said.
A
second official said the number of Iraqi opposition members to be
trained had not yet been determined, but the Los Angeles Times
reported Wednesday that President George W. Bush would ask lawmakers
to teach some 10,000.
The
official told AFP that that was the number contained in a proposal
from the Iraqi National Congress, an umbrella group for anti-Saddam
forces, but that Washington had not yet decided on the figure.
The
Times cited unnamed Bush administration officials and Iraqi
opposition sources as saying the idea was to create an array of forces
to assist the U.S. military in a possible attack on Iraq.
The
newspaper said the move, which could come as early as this week,
reflected the depth of Bush’s “commitment” to toppling Saddam
and the quickening pace of military preparations, AFP said.
“We
have graduated to the next step of regime change,” the paper quoted
a well-placed administration source as saying.
The
forces, which are expected to include representatives of all of Iraq's
major ethnic and religious groups, would be trained to coordinate
their activities with U.S. troops, it said.
But
they are not expected to be used to lead the charge against Saddam
Hussein, it said.
The
second U.S. official said it was likely that the trainees would be
used in support roles, serving as “liaisons” to local populations,
interpreting for U.S. troops and possibly acting as guards for
prisoners of war, in the event of military action.
“We’re
looking at different options,” the official told AFP.
To
pay for the project, the paper said the White House would notify
Congress that it wants to use 92 million dollars (euros) still to be
allocated from the Iraq Liberation Act.
The
measure allows the Pentagon to provide training, non-lethal goods and
services to seven opposition groups.
The
Times also reported that some Iraqi groups were angered when
documents related to the project were circulated by the Iraqi National
Congress in northern Kurdistan without consultations with two Kurdish
groups which have the only major opposition fighters in Iraq, AFP
said.
Turkey
is also concerned about the impact of strengthening Kurds in tactics
that could prove useful in a possible future bid for an independent
Kurdistan on its borders, the paper said, citing unnamed Iraqi
sources.
