Iraqi exiles begin training to assist US military

IRAQI exiles who want to help the US military in its campaign against Saddam Hussein will report for training this week, defence officials said.

The first batch of opposition members who have volunteered to serve with US forces have been told by the Pentagon to assemble at marshalling centres in the next few days, officials said on condition of anonymity.

The call-up of recruits kicks off the largest-known US effort to train Saddam's enemies since passage of the 1998 Iraq Liberation Act, which called for his overthrow and provided $97 million to train and equip his opponents.

Secretary of Defence Donald H Rumsfeld yesterday briefed members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on the situations in Iraq, North Korea and Afghanistan.

General Tommy Franks, who would command any war in Iraq, was at his Central Command headquarters in Tampa with his key generals. He called them there for a two-day conference to go over plans for Iraq as well as the ongoing campaign in Afghanistan, which also is under his command.

And the deployment of tens of thousands of US troops to the Persian Gulf region continued as the Defence Department worked to build up forces for a war President George W Bush says he may or may not wage. On Tuesday, Mr Bush said "time is running out" for Saddam to disarm.

His spokesman, Ari Fleischer yesterday suggested Saddam may some day face war crimes charges.

"The thinking is if Saddam Hussein were to leave Iraq and go on trial, the world would be a better place," Mr Fleischer said. Despite searching more than 300 sites since November, UN weapons inspectors say they have no substantial evidence to support allegations Saddam has hidden of weapons of mass destruction and a missile programme. Chief inspector Hans Blix said the inspectors need months to finish their searches.

As for the Iraqi opposition, Pentagon trainees will be screened at the marshalling centres, then flown to a US boot camp in Hungary and trained to serve as support staff for coalition forces in the event of a war or in the aftermath. Up to 3,000 Iraqis are expected to be trained eventually to serve in such jobs as translators, guides and military police, Officials have ruled out initial suggestions that the men be used in combat positions.