Iraqi National Congress members, including the PUK and the KDP, will meet in
Washington to discuss new policies against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein
 

Feb 2, 2001
Ankara - Turkish Daily News

Due to the outcome of the presidential election the United States seems to be willing to
restart its efforts to overthrow Saddam Hussein, which had lost momentum in recent
years. With this aim, Washington is preparing to greet Iraqi opposition leaders next week
to re-evaluate recent developments in Iraq.

Reports indicate that Iraqi National Congress (INC) members, including the Patriotic Union
of Kurdistan (PUK) and Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) will take part in the
meetings. Iraqi Kurdish sources in Ankara, speaking to the Turkish Daily News, said that
who will participate in the Washington meeting was not known yet.

"A meeting is expected to be held, but it is not clear now at what level. We will send
representatives according to the level of the meeting," said a Kurdish source.

Ahmed Chalabi, chairman of the INC, Sherif Ali bin Hussein of the Constitutional Monarchy
Movement and Salah Sheikhhly of the Iraqi National Accord at the State Department in
Washington are expected to attend the meeting.

Turkey has been uneasy over developments in northern Iraq, particularly those concerning
the possible establishment of a Kurdish state. For this reason it urges the Baghdad
administration to increase its control in the region. Thus, Turkey has recently been
following a policy that forces Baghdad's administration to regain its control over northern
Iraq.

Because of this fear, before the meeting between Iraqi Kurds and top U.S. officials in
Washington, Ankara is expected to reiterate its concerns over northern Iraq to Iraqi
Kurdish groups.

Moreover, it is no secret that Turkey is lukewarm to the idea of toppling Saddam Hussein
as it fears the instability that might occur afterwards. Turkey's priority in its Iraq policy is to
secure stability and the territorial integrity of Iraq rather than removing Saddam Hussein.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Celebi, a member of the six-man INC leadership, in Washington to
secure a $25 million aid package, said on Thursday he expected a closer relationship with
the United States under the Bush administration. Speaking at an American Enterprise
Institute meeting, Celebi said relationship would be "very active" during the Bush
presidency.

In campaign statements last year, advisers to President George W. Bush said they would
take the Iraqi opposition more seriously. A review of U.S. policy towards Iraq has started.

Celebi said, "We expect that our relationship under this administration will be much better
than it was under the previous administration, and we look forward to a very active
relationship with the U.S. government."

Asked later if he thought the advent of the Bush administration was a breakthrough for the
INC, he said, "We have a chance, but there are many vagaries and they (the Bush
administration) are not really in place yet."

On the other hand U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Thursday he had not yet
decided whether it would be wise to back the Iraqi opposition against President Saddam
Hussein and did not have any appointments with the visiting INC leaders.

Celebi said the INC would have meetings with lower-level State Department officials to
negotiate details of the $25 million aid package, which includes $12 million to help
opposition groups distribute food and medicine in clandestine forays into areas controlled
by the Iraqi government.

The rest of the package is $6 million for broadcasting, $5 million for administration and $2
million for investigating alleged war crimes by the Iraqi authorities.
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The Kurdistan Observer
www.kurdistanobserver.com