USA: IRAQI OPPOSITION SAY IRAQI PEOPLE AND MILITARY ARE AGAINST REGIME OF SADDAM HUSSEIN.
Record ID:
648349
USA: IRAQI OPPOSITION SAY IRAQI PEOPLE AND MILITARY ARE AGAINST REGIME OF SADDAM HUSSEIN.
- Title: USA: IRAQI OPPOSITION SAY IRAQI PEOPLE AND MILITARY ARE AGAINST REGIME OF SADDAM HUSSEIN.
- Date: 9th August 2002
- Summary: (U7) WASHINGTON, D.C., USA (AUGUST 8, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV/PAN: WIDE OF SHARIF ALI BIN AL HUSSEIN, SPOKESPERSON FOR THE IRAQI NATIONAL CONGRESS WALKING INTO PRESS CONFERENCE 0.06 2. MV: CUTAWAY OF REPORTERS LISTENING 0.09 3. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) SHARIF ALI BIN AL HUSSEIN, SPOKESPERSON FOR THE IRAQI NATIONAL CONGRESS SAYING: "We welcome this opportunity to present our case to the United States government in a united fashion and with a single voice, and to defend the rights and hopes of the Iraqi people. Our emphasis will be on the fact that we have to begin to plan on a blueprint for a transition to democracy in Iraq. This is essential part of the campaign for regime change in Iraq. Our message will also be that the Iraqi opposition is able to fill any vacuum left after Saddam Hussein, that we do speak with one voice, that we are united and that there is no risk of a breakup of Iraq, there is no risk of a civil war, on the contrary the Iraqi opposition will ensure the territorial integrity of Iraq, the continuation of its institutions, and to re-establish democracy and the rule of law, in Iraq and to end the years of tyranny." (REPORTER CUTAWAY) "We will also pass on the message that the entirety of the Iraqi population is opposed to Saddam Hussein, nobody in Iraq will defend that regime. Including the military, both the regular army and the republican guard, elements of the security forces and the general population. All of Iraq has suffered for many years under the oppression of Saddam's regime, and there is not a single person out there that will fight or defend him. (CUTAWAY) "The U.S. will be the party that decides whether it takes military action against Saddam's regime or not. The Iraqi opposition cannot influence that. But we can influence events. And we the opposition both the side that you see outside and the one that you don't see inside will rise up against Saddam in the event of a U.S. attack. We will not sit back and wait for events, we will lead events and we are attempting now to lead the political agenda as well because it really is our issue. It is about the Iraqi people and the future of Iraq." (WIDE OF PRESS CONFERENCE) "Nobody can, at this moment in time can really not follow orders, so do not believe any demonstrations. If Saddam goes, these demonstrations will be cheering his death rather than supporting him." (7 SHOTS) 3.23 4. GV: WIDE OF PRESS CONFERENCE 3.30 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 24th August 2002 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., USA
- City:
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA2G0FZ2N7DGJMK25VREJLZ0D2P
- Story Text: One day before members of the Iraqi opposition hold
talks with the Bush administration in Washington, a spokesman
for the Iraqi National Congress said both the Iraqi people and
the Iraqi military are against the regime of Saddam Hussein,
saying talks will focus on a transition "blueprint" in the
event of regime change in Iraq.
State Department and Defence Department officials have
invited the leaders of six of the largest Iraqi opposition
groups, based in London and Tehran, to Washington to discuss
the future of Iraq.
President George W. Bush has vowed to oust Saddam, whom
Washington says is developing chemical, biological and nuclear
weapons. Bush said on Wednesday (August 7) he would be patient
in making any decision on Iraq.
Friday's meeting is apparently designed to help prepare the
ground politically in case Saddam is toppled - a demand of the
opposition, which has criticised U.S. policy towards Iraq as
vague and divisive.
At a press conference in Washington, D.C., Sharif Ali Bin
Al Hussein, a spokesperson for the Iraqi National Congress -
an umbrella opposition group - emphasized the Iraqi opposition
would seek to take a leading political role in any transition
to democracy should a regime change take place.
Al Hussein said they welcomed the invitation to Washington,
and would tell the Bush administration that the opposition is
united and "able to fill any vacuum left after Saddam
Hussein."
"There is no risk of a civil war," he told reporters at the
National Press Club in Washington, D.C.,
Al Hussein said there is little support for Saddam within
Iraq, and that neither the general population nor the Iraqi
military would defend the regime in the event of military
action.
"All of Iraq has suffered for many years under the
oppression of Saddam's regime, and there is not a single
person out there that will fight for or defend him," he said.
Asked about the displays of support for Saddam Hussein
following his hardline speech on Thursday, Al Hussein told
reporters "Do not believe any demonstrations. If Saddam
goes, these demonstrations will be cheering his death rather
than supporting him."
Ahmad Chalabi, leader of the Iraqi National Congress, will
attend the meeting and has urged Washington to work for
democracy in Iraq and not engineer a coup that would install
another leader similar to Saddam.
Al Hussein re-emphasized that the group would not stand
for one dictator replacing another.
Sharif Ali Bin Al Hussein told reporters that they did not
expect the United States to tell them in advance the timing of
such a military action, saying that would likely remain "a
military secret," but said it is critical to lay the
groundwork now for the future of the country.
"We will not sit back and wait for events, we will lead
events and we are attempting now to lead the political agenda
as well because it really is our issue. It is about the Iraqi
people and the future of Iraq," he said.
U.S. officials say military contingency plans for a
possible invasion of Iraq vary from using upward of 250,000
American troops and hundreds of aircraft launched from
countries in the region to much smaller numbers of troops in
hopes that Iraqi military support for Saddam would quickly
crumble.
jch/dw
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