Rumsfeld, Powell said to differ over Iraq policy

WASHINGTON Ñ The Bush administration is preparing to meet Iraqi opposition leaders as sources reported differences in policy recommendations between Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell.

The Republican-dominated Congress is pressing the White House to increase U.S. support in the drive to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Both the Iraqi opposition and its allies in Congress want the United States to train and equip the opposition for battle against the regime in Baghdad.

Administration sources said policy toward the Iraqi opposition appears divided between Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who wants a vigorous anti-Saddam drive, and a more cautious Secretary of State Colin Powell who initially opposed a U.S. military response when Iraq invaded Kuwait on Aug 1, 1990.

"I think we have to keep reminding everybody that this is an arms control problem," Powell said.

The sources said the issue is whether to help the INC launch a guerrilla campaign against Saddam from northern Iraq. Before he left office last month, Bush's predecessor, President Bill Clinton, approved a $12 million package for the INC to distribute food and establish a broadcast facility in northern Iraq.

The administration is considering a $25 million aid package to the INC. The package was discussed during talks last month between President George Bush and his top advisers.

INC sources said the U.S. package could reach $33 million. Already, the sources said, the administration has given the INC the green light to return to Iraq. The details of the mandate, however are yet to be completed.

On Friday, the Washington Post reported that the administration is allowing the INC to use $4 million to gather information on internal development in Iraq. The newspaper said this signals an increase in INC authority.

"What we want to do is bring out political information, information on the state of Iraq's military and enhance our contacts with our constituency inside Iraq," the INC's Ahmed Chalabi said.

In a related development, the London-based Al Hayat daily reported on Friday that Iraq and Kuwait are launching a reconciliation effort. The newspaper said envoys from the two countries will meet over the weekend in the Qatari capital of Doha.