News Analysis

By Yasser Alaskary
December 15, 2002

• In a show of unity the Iraqi opposition finally holds a conference in London, after three opposition leaders met in Iran. The opposition agree on a political blueprint for Iraq after Saddam is ousted including a federal democracy, to refuse foreign guardianship and occupation, and Islam as the official state religion.
  
  
• The military build-up to oust Saddam's regime intensifies as a computerised test run of the war is launched in Qatar and Hungary is asked to host around 2,400 Iraqi exiles for training to prepare them for a post-Saddam Iraq.
  
  
• To shore up Turkey's support for action Bush hosts the political leader Tayyip Erdogan, whose Islamic-related party now heads the government, and agree on using Turkey's airbases to attack Saddam while senators visit Turkey.
  
  
• In gathering support for military action, Germany now agrees to participate in any NATO operations against Saddam, and the US looks to Asia for support.
  
  
• America denounces Iraq's dossier, but this is unlikely to be enough. Testimonies from Iraqi scientists is the more likely trigger for military action.
  
  
• Saddam signals he has given up hope for support from his usual allies as he exposes suppliers of dangerous arms and cancels an oil deal with Russia. And, in a bid to make sure Iraqi generals do not carry out orders to launch chemical or biological attacks, the US threatens to use nuclear retaliation.

You can find this online at http://www.iprospect.org.uk/na15dec.html