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CNN Live Today

In Washington, Administration Officials Meeting With Iraqi Opposition Groups

Aired August 09, 2002 - 12:33   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Now, here at home, and back in Washington today, administration officials bent on regime change in Iraq are meeting with half a dozen Iraqi opposition groups. President Bush, as you know, is minding events from Texas, and that's where we find our CNN's Suzanne Malveaux.
Hi there, Suzanne.

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fredricka.

Well, that meeting is going to start about 3:00 in the afternoon. It's going to involve State Department officials, Pentagon officials, as well as leaders from six different Iraqi opposition groups. We can give you somewhat of a preview, administration officials outlining the goals here of the meetings, what they hope to accomplish. First of all, the United States want to broaden its contacts with Iraqi opposition groups beyond the Iraqi National congress. It's an umbrella organization in the past receiving the lion's share of U.S. funding. The really want to get involved in some other groups.

Secondly, administration officials say they want to make U.S. policy very clear, that is a regime change, the ousting of Saddam Hussein, but also of Iraq's -- the requirement to ridding it of its weapons of mass destruction. Third, administration officials say they want to encourage cooperation, coordination among these opposition groups. There has been infighting, turf battles that has occurred. This is not going to be useful, administration officials say, when they oust Saddam Hussein.

Fourth, White House is saying that they want to show a sense of support and unity among those in the Pentagon as well as the State Department that there have been debates, as we are well aware, of just how U.S. policy should be carried out, in terms of regime change, whether or not it should happen militarily, diplomatically or otherwise.

Now administration officials do say that they acknowledge -- really the challenge will be a lot of competing interest among these groups. The Kurds, for instance, are dead set against a U.S. attack. They're afraid they'll lose their autonomy. There's another group that wants to go back to the monarchy, and there are still other opposition groups who are not excited about getting rid of these weapons of mass destruction.

There was a press conference yesterday among these opposition groups, and they said one thing they are clear on is it is their responsibility in turning the country around.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHARIF ALI BINTAL HUSSEIN, IRAQI NATIONAL CONGRESS: We reserve the right to decide what form of government comes from Saddam Hussein, and we reserve the natural right to decide our own affairs. What we are asking the international community do is not to ignore the Iraqi people any more. The international community has already paid a huge price by ignoring the dangers of Saddam Hussein.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Now that was a spokesperson for Iraqi National Congress. There has been some debate within the Bush administration about their role as well, whether or not the United States should support some sort of military effort for them go in and oust Saddam Hussein, whether or not they are capable of doing such a thing. These are the type of issues the administration is dealing with, that it is struggling with, debating over at this time. But they really say this is a show of unity, to say the State Department, Pentagon officials meeting with all of these leaders at the same time.

It'll be interesting, tomorrow, we are told there will be somewhat of a video teleconference that allow these opposition leaders to talk directly with Vice President Cheney who is in Jackson Hole, Wyoming at his home -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Thanks very much, Suzanne Malveaux, at President Bush's other home in Crawford, Texas.

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