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Iraqi opposition leader says Saddam should be persuaded to go
Dubai, Jan 10: The international community should convince Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to step down in order to avert a US-led war on Iraq, the leader of the main Iraqi Shiite opposition group, Ayatollah Mohammad Baqer Al-Hakim, said in remarks published today.
Dubai, Jan 10: The international community should convince Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to step down in order to avert a US-led war on Iraq, the leader of the main Iraqi
Shiite opposition group, Ayatollah Mohammad Baqer Al-Hakim, said in remarks published today.
"We believe the United Nations, The Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) can prevent a war against Iraq if they assume their responsibilities toward the Iraqi people and opt for (regime) change" in Baghdad, Hakim told the Saudi-owned pan-Arab daily al-Hayat. "They have two options to save the Iraqi people: convince Saddam to step down and allow Iraqis to choose who will govern them through free and fair elections, or implement UN Security Council resolution 688 that bans Saddam from using heavy weapons to crush any internal move against the regime," he said.
The latter option would enable the Iraqi people to bring about a change of regime, said Hakim, who heads the Tehran-based supreme assembly for the Islamic revolution in Iraq (Sairi). "We believe the departure of the Iraqi regime would be in the interest of the Iraqi people and the other peoples of the (Gulf) region, and we believe that real change must be effected by the Iraqi people themselves," Hakim said.
"Past experience shows that the regime is capable of deceiving (UN) disarmament commissions," said Hakim, referring to the resumption of UN arms inspections in Iraq. Hakim said he refused to see Iraq ruled by a "foreign military commander" after Saddam's eventual exit.
"We also refuse to see a foreign side imposing a governor on Iraq by force, even if he is Iraqi," he said.
Bureau Report
"We believe the United Nations, The Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) can prevent a war against Iraq if they assume their responsibilities toward the Iraqi people and opt for (regime) change" in Baghdad, Hakim told the Saudi-owned pan-Arab daily al-Hayat. "They have two options to save the Iraqi people: convince Saddam to step down and allow Iraqis to choose who will govern them through free and fair elections, or implement UN Security Council resolution 688 that bans Saddam from using heavy weapons to crush any internal move against the regime," he said.
The latter option would enable the Iraqi people to bring about a change of regime, said Hakim, who heads the Tehran-based supreme assembly for the Islamic revolution in Iraq (Sairi). "We believe the departure of the Iraqi regime would be in the interest of the Iraqi people and the other peoples of the (Gulf) region, and we believe that real change must be effected by the Iraqi people themselves," Hakim said.
"Past experience shows that the regime is capable of deceiving (UN) disarmament commissions," said Hakim, referring to the resumption of UN arms inspections in Iraq. Hakim said he refused to see Iraq ruled by a "foreign military commander" after Saddam's eventual exit.
"We also refuse to see a foreign side imposing a governor on Iraq by force, even if he is Iraqi," he said.
Bureau Report