Foreign Affairs - No Political Rants Message Board

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Foreign Affairs - No Political Rants

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next

To: paul_philp who started this subject	3/2/2003 1:52:04 AM
From: paul_philp	Read Replies (1) of 504

Iraq opposition agrees action plan news.bbc.co.uk By Jim Muir BBC correspondent in Salahuddin, northern Iraq Leaders of the Iraqi opposition have ended a four-day meeting in Kurdish-held northern Iraq with a call for the Iraqi people to prepare for liberation day. The opposition set up a six-man leadership council and 14 committees which a special American presidential envoy said would be integrated into the US plans for Iraq's future. One delegate called the results of the meeting a practical road map for transition to democracy. But differences remained over American plans to allow troops from neighbouring Turkey to deploy into northern Iraq if a US-led coalition goes to war. Hard work This wasn't an easy meeting. It had to be extended by more than a day to accommodate intense discussion of the final communique and to ensure it was acceptable to the American delegation as well as to the diverse spectrum of the Iraqi opposition. Clear differences remained over the burning issue of Turkish troops entering northern Iraq. The opposition as a whole announced its rejection of any Turkish military intervention, while President George W Bush's special envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, said the US looked forward to Turkish membership of the coalition. But Mr Khalilzad said Washington would oppose any unilateral Turkish moves and that Turkish forces should leave when the coalition troops pulled out. The opposition is hoping to send a delegation to Ankara, if the latter accepts, to explain why it believes Turkish intervention would be damaging to both parties. On the other major issue - filling the political vacuum after the projected overthrow of Saddam Hussein - there was a greater meeting of minds. The opposition had feared that it was about to be discarded in favour of US military rule. But the American envoy said that Washington planned to liberate Iraq in coordination with the Iraqi opposition and looked forward to working with the special committees or task forces set up by the meeting to pursue the opposition's campaign in different fields. 'Great success' Several opposition speakers said that the Iraqi people were primarily responsible for bringing about regime change and called on those living under the regime to prepare for liberation. The six-man leadership council set up by the meeting may emerge as part of a future transitional government. But both the opposition and the Americans stressed the need to draw in other figures, including people currently living under the Baghdad government. Many of those taking part in the meeting said it was a great success. All are aware that difficult times lie ahead, not least over the potentially explosive issue of Turkish troops coming in. But there was a universal conviction here that regime change is just a matter of weeks away and that the Americans and the opposition are now much more in tune than they were in advance of the meeting.

Report TOU Violation

Share This Post

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next