DATE=  11/20/97

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-223014

TITLE=IRAQI OPPOSITION VIEW

BYLINE=PAMELA TAYLOR

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT: 



INTRO:  AN IRAQI OPPOSITION LEADER SAYS SADDAM HUSSEIN HAS 

ACHIEVED HIS MAIN GOAL WITH THE COMPROMISE AGREEMENT NEGOTIATED 

BY RUSSIA TO END A DIPLOMATIC STANDOFF BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND 

BAGHDAD. THAT GOAL, ACCORDING TO AHMAD CHALABI IS 'GAINING TIME' 

FOR IRAQ TO CONTINUE PRODUCING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION.  

VOA'S PAMELA TAYLOR REPORTS:



TEXT:   ALTHOUGH MR. CHALABI SAYS HE HAS  NOT  SEEN THE AGREEMENT

NEGOTIATED BY RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER YEVGENY PRIMAKOV, HE IS 

CONCERNED BY WHAT HE CALLS ITS 'OMINOUS' LANGUAGE ABOUT MAKING 

THE U-N WEAPONS INSPECTION TEAM -- KNOWN AS U-N-S-C-O-M -- "MORE 

EFFECTIVE":



                          // ACT ONE //



         THAT IS A EUPHEMISM THAT HAS BEEN USED BY PRIMAKOV FOR 

         CHANGING THE COMPOSITION OF U-N-S-C-O-M AND FOR 

         RESTRICTING ITS FUNCTIONS.  MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT COULD 

         BE A EUPHEMISM FOR GIVING A TIME LIMIT BY WHICH 

         U-N-S-C-O-M WILL FINISH ITS JOB. 



                          // END ACT //



MR. CHALABI COMMENTS CAME IN A SPEECH THURSDAY TO THE WASHINGTON 

INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY.  MR. CHALABI SAID U-N INSPECTORS 

HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN DESTROYING SOME WEAPONS OF MASS 

DESTRUCTION.   BUT HE SAID THE IRAQI LEADER HAS SIMPLY CHANGED 

HIS TACTICS FROM QUANTITY TO QUALITY: 



                          // ACT TWO //



         INSTEAD OF MUSTARD GAS AND SAREN, HE HAS V-X NOW AND 

         ANTHRAX AND A SMALL QUANTITY OF THOSE IS EQUIVALENT TO A

         VERY LARGE QUANTITY OF OTHER WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

         IN THEIR DEVASTATING EFFECT.



                         // END ACT // 



MR. CHALABI SAID IRAQ HAS UNDOUBTEDLY MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS  IN 

PRODUCING THESE BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS DURING THE THREE WEEKS 

INSPECTORS HAVE NOT BEEN ALLOWED IN THE COUNTRY.



                         // REST OPT //



THE OPPOSITION LEADER THEN FOCUSED HIS COMMENTS ON THE PURPOSE OF

HIS VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES -- TO WIN U-S SUPPORT FOR AN IRAQI

OPPOSITION GOVERNMENT IN EXILE.  HE CRITICIZED THE LACK OF SUCH 

SUPPORT FOLLOWING THE GULF WAR WHEN, HE SAID, IT WAS A MORE 

VIABLE CONCEPT.  BUT TODAY, HE INSISTED, THE VARIOUS FACTIONS 

WHICH HE REPRESENTS ARE UNITED.  



                         // ACT THREE //



         I SAY TO YOU NOW, THE OPPOSITION IS UNITED IN ITS AIM OF

         GETTING RID OF SADDAM AND ESTABLISHING DEMOCRACY IN 

         IRAQ.



                          // END ACT //



AS PRESIDENT OF THE IRAQI NATIONAL CONGRESS,  MR. CHALABI 

REPRESENTS A COALITION OF SUNNI, SHIITE AND KURDISH OPPOSITION 

GROUPS. THE COALITION IS CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE THE LEADING 

MOVEMENT OPPOSED TO SADDAM HUSSEIN'S RULE.  (SIGNED)



NEB/PAM/WFR







 







20-Nov-97 3:48 PM EST (2048 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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