Father of a Free Iraq? Iraqi National Congress’ Chalabi Details a Program for Liberating His Country From Saddam

(Washington, D.C.): In powerful testimony delivered on 2 March before the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee’s Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs Subcommittee, Ahmed
Chalabi,
President of the Executive Council of the Iraqi National Congress (INC) offered a plan of action
for bringing to an end, at long last, Saddam Hussein’s reign of terror. This inspiring testimony
(excerpts of which are attached) should be considered required
reading for all Americans who
wish to spare this Nation, its friends, allies and forces in the region and the rest of the world the
menace posed by the Butcher of Baghdad and his regime.

Dr. Chalabi, who holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago leads an
organization that represents all ethnic, religious and political elements of Iraqi society. The INC
demonstrated its capability to attract support and organize effective opposition to Saddam’s
brutal clique until the United States permitted its operations in northern Iraq to be liquidated by
his Republican Guard in August 1996. This betrayal was all the more appalling given the contents
of a letter disclosed in the course of the hearing chaired by Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS).
This letter was sent to Mr. Chalabi by Vice President Al Gore on 4 August 1993. It said, in part:

“The President and I share the concerns you raise in your letter, and I assure
you that
we will not turn our backs on the Kurds or the other Iraqi communities subjected
to the repression of Saddam Hussein’s regime. Since April 1991, coalition forces
have protected the inhabitants of northern Iraq from Baghdad’s repression, and
the administration is committed to continuing that effort.” (Emphasis added.)

As Sen. Brownback noted with some amazement: The letter goes on to state “their
pledge
of support for a democratic alternative to Saddam Hussein’s regime.” In the Vice President’s
words: “I can assure you that the U.S. intends to live up to these commitments and give
whatever additional support we can reasonably provide to encourage you in your struggle
for a democratic Iraq.“

The Center for Security Policy commends Sen. Brownback for offering an opportunity for the
INC to present their plan for liberating Iraq and to lay out a number of eminently practicable
and
overt steps the United States could now take to bring about the end of the Iraq’s national
nightmare under Saddam. These include: enforcing no-fly and no-drive zones
for Iraqi military
forces over parts of northern, southern and western Iraq; recognizing a provisional
government
based on the democratic, pluralistic principles and leadership of the INC; lifting sanctions
on
regions controlled by the provisional government; facilitating broadcasting to
Iraq of news
and information denied the Iraqi people by the regime; and providing the government of Free Iraq
with resources (e.g., funds from frozen Iraqi government assets or loans) it will need ultimately to
accomplish the complete liberation of Iraq. Importantly, these recommendations were broadly
endorsed by President Clinton’s first Director of Central Intelligence, James
Woolsey, who also
appeared before the Subcommittee.