Friday, June 25, 1999

WASHINGTON [MENL] -- As Saddam Hussein has reportedly authorized the assassinations of U.S.-backed opposition forces, the United States maintains that such opponents of the Iraqi ruler are not ready to be armed.

Elizabeth Jones, deputy U.S. assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, termed as "premature" calls to arm the Iraqi opposition. She said the administration is supplying such help as broadcast and other communications devices as part of the $97 million in aid approved in October 1998.

"There are a host of issues that must be resolved before we can have confidence that providing arms to the Iraqi opposition would advance our objectives of promoting a change of regime and not just lead to more Iraqis being killed unnecessarily," Ms. Jones said in a Wednesday hearing to the Senate Foreign Relations' subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs. "One requirement is a credible, broad-based, Iraqi political umbrella movement that can authoritatively articulate a future vision for those Iraqis who now lack a voice in their own fate."

Ms. Jones said Washington has detected "a serious hesitancy among the people of Iraq" to participate in a revolution. She cited the fear of reprisals by Saddam's regime.

Congressional leaders want to increase the pace of U.S. assistance to Iraqi opposition groups in an intensified effort to oust Saddam. "We need to get moving," said subcommittee Chairman Sam Brownback, a Republican from Kansas. "I don't want Saddam to outlast another American president."

Brownback said Iraqi opposition leaders are unifying. Over the last month, both Iraqi opposition leaders as well as Kurdish leaders from northern Iraq have met in Washington with U.S. administration officials and congressional leaders.

Ahmed Chalabi, the Washington representative of the Iraqi National Congress, a London-based umbrella group for the Iraqi opposition, agreed with Brownback.

"It is time for bold action," Chalabi said. "The Iraq National Congress calls upon the United States and its allies to recognize what is already fact: that the United States and its allies are at war with Saddam's regime. Last summer, it was proven that Saddam had ballistic missile warheads loaded with deadly VX -- nerve gas -- an active biological weapons program, and the potential for nuclear weapons in less than a year."

"In addition, over a thousand political prisoners have been executed in the so-called prison-cleansing campaign," Chalabi said. "Iraqis are dying now. It is not useful to say that any further, more aggressive moves against Saddam would get Iraqis killed, because Saddam is killing Iraqis now."

The INC is planning to hold a national assembly meeting in July. No venue has been announced.

Arab sources report that Saddam has authorized his son, Qusay, to train hit squads to assassinate or intimidate exile leaders who have launched an effort to oust the Iraqi president. Over the past month, Iraqi and Kurdish leaders have met in Washington in a U.S.-financed effort.

Saddam's efforts include a reshuffle of his security and intelligence services and offers of amnesty to Iraqis who fled their country. Among the appointments was that of Saddam's personal secretary Abdul Hamid Hamoud General Ayed Alhaj.

The London-based Yemen News reports that Saddam's "Fedayeen" led by Qusay are training for missions inside and outside Iraq. "It is believed that such missions may include intimidation and assassination of Iraqi opposition in the Middle East and Europe," the service said.