President George Bush has formally approved $92m (£60m) to train a pan-Iraqi militia to help fight a war against Saddam Hussein. Over the past few weeks the Pentagon has been scouring countries looking for bases. A Nato airbase in southern Hungary emerged yesterday as the favourite site. Zaab Sethna, an adviser to the Iraqi National Congress (INC), the biggest of the Iraqi exile groups, said yesterday in London: "We expect a decision from the Pentagon within days" to begin training.
Mr Sethna said the INC has submitted a list of more than 5,000 names to the Pentagon of those ready to take up the gun, and he expected that other groups too had put people forward. "We have volunteers from all over the world," he said. "We are appealing for anyone who is willing to participate. There will be some physical fitness and age requirements." Creation of an Iraqi militia marks a cranking up of the war planning that contrasts with the softer tone from Washington in recent days as its officials analyse the Iraqi declaration on weapons of mass destruction.
5000 isn't a very large force to take on Sammy and his boyz, but it'll make a symbolic presence. They could be the ones who start the fight, and then when they ask for help we would just "assist" them. The White House seems to have a shortage of dummies lately, regardless of what some people think. There're lots of different approaches they could take, and Sammy's got to try and think through all the possibilities... |