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CounterPunch
December
18, 2002
Iraqi Opposition Summit Papers
Over Rivalries
by PATRICK COCKBURN
The deep differences between enemies of President
Saddam Hussein was underlined yesterday when a group of his opponents
walked out of a conference in London dedicated to forging opposition
unity.
The five Iraqi Shia Muslim groups said
the largest Shia party was monopolising representation of their
community, to which the majority of Iraqis belong, on a 65-member
committee which is seen as the nucleus for a transitional government
in Baghdad.
The conference had already gone
on for two days longer than expected  as its largely Kurdish organisers struggled
to ensure that all parts of Iraq's mosaic of ethnic, religious
and political groups were represented. "We have just had
four of our members executed by Saddam but they still don't pay
any attention to our opinions," said one delegate.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the American envoy
to the Iraqi opposition, quietly tried to paper over differences
so the US could present a united Iraqi opposition to the world.
The conference will meet again in Iraqi Kurdistan on 15 January
but the imminence of war and American pressure ultimately produced
a show of agreement.
The two most powerful parties at the
conference - the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and the Patriotic
Union of Kurdistan - have already achieved de facto independence
for Iraq's Kurds and fear this will be eroded after the fall
of President Saddam.
The Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution
in Iraq fought a long and ultimately successful battle to be
recognised as the main representative on the council of Shias.
They have a small army, backed by Tehran, but their real popularity
in Iraq is uncertain.
The Americans and the Kurdish leaders
were also keen that the committee would not be wholly dominated
by Shia and Kurds. This meant co-opting Sunni exiles who once
had seniority in the Baghdad regime.
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