Iraqi exiles form new anti-Saddam group

Middle East News Online ^ | June 28 2002 | Iraq Press (London)

[knighthawk]

London - Iraqi opponents of President Saddam Hussein have formed a new opposition group in London. The group includes factions from a wide spectrum of Iraqi society. Called the Alliance of Iraqi National forces, it has vowed to work to end dictatorship in Iraq.

According to a report in the London-based Arabic daily Azzaman, the group brings together about half a dozen Iraqi factions known for their opposition of Saddam's regime.

The newspaper said the alliance has under its umbrella factions representing the country's ethnic and religious diversity.

However, it includes none of the major opposition factions which until recently worked under the umbrella of the U.S.-backed Iraqi National Congress or INC.

There are more than seventy Iraqi groups which oppose Saddam's rule of Iraq. But their divisions over ethnic, religious and sectarian grounds have rendered them ineffective in mounting a serious threat to the regime.

The United States which now publicly advocates a change of the regime in Baghdad has not thrown its weight behind any of the groups. Iraq watchers say the U.S. administration is also divided regarding what role the opposition can play in ousting Saddam.

The Boston Globe reported Thursday that the Bush administration was considering the appointment of a coordinator to bring the disparate groups together and formulate a unified U.S. stand towards them.

The step, analysts say, is a sign that Washington is serious in moving ahead on its declared intention to overthrow Saddam Hussein.

The appointment would mark a turning point in U.S. policy as it would underline the failure so far of American efforts to forge "a credible and cohesive opposition" to Saddam, the Globe said.

[knighthawk]

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