Cajoling over, US stops relying on Iraq Opp

After pouring tens of millions of dollars into the Iraqi opposition, the United States is quietly trying to rein in the disparate groups, fe...

After pouring tens of millions of dollars into the Iraqi opposition, the United States is quietly trying to rein in the disparate groups, fearing their ambitious activities may become a political or military liability.

The Bush administration bluntly told Opposition leaders recently that forming a government in exile could alienate millions of Iraqis, fearful they would have no role after a transition of power, according to US officials.

America downplays French, German protest
Washington: Seeking to marginalise opposition by France and Germany, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Wednesday ‘‘vast numbers of other countries in Europe’’ back the US on a possible war with Iraq. Rumsfeld said he saw a ‘‘real struggle taking place in the Muslim faith’’ over extremists trying to hijack Islam to spread hate against the West. —Reuters

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Within the administration, senior officials have also warned that a planned opposition conference in Kurdish-held northern Iraq next month could anger President Saddam Hussein and provoke retaliation on the Kurds, or even a premature war.

In general, the administration is deeply disappointed that the Opposition has failed to be a strong force in making the case against Saddam to Islamic nations and UN Security Council members.

After the US helped reunify six Iraqi opposition groups last August, the administration hoped that they would take an active role in confronting Saddam and building an alternative to his regime. Instead, they have been consumed by ongoing squabbling, which delayed their first summit until last month and made them almost invisible as a political force.

As a result, the Bush administration has concluded that any new Iraqi leadership is now likely to emerge from within Iraq, instead of from the overseas dissidents it has funded and supported for a decade.

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“Some of these people are loose cannons, with their own agendas,’’ said a well-placed US official requesting anonymity.

For now, the administration’s involvement with the Opposition remains a cornerstone of US policy. But expectations have been lowered and the relationship is increasingly moving away from policy issues, US officials say.

Administration insiders say that even Vice-President Dick Cheney, a stalwart ally of the Opposition groups, is increasingly concerned — an attitude that has had a ‘‘chilling effect’’ on the Pentagon’s support.

The State Department is now running 15 Iraqi working groups — made up of independents and Opposition party members — to develop ideas for everything from managing the oil industry and revamping education to setting up a judiciary. Their technical help and knowledge of local needs are considered vital to US planning for war. (LATWP)