[A-List] US imperialism: Iraq, Hungary

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

3,000 Iraqi exiles to train at US base in Hungary for secret role in war

Nick Thorpe at Taszar air base, Hungary
Friday January 17, 2003
The Guardian

Up to 3,000 Iraqi exiles will begin arriving in Hungary within days for the
beginning of an extraordinary US-led operation to train them for war in
their homeland.

The exiles, from across the world, will converge on Taszar air base, an
American supply post nestled in the countryside 200 miles from Budapest.

Dozens of khaki tents have already been erected in ground covered with
midwinter snow, in preparation for the arrival of the force.

The exact nature of their training in Hungary, and the role they will be
given in any US-led invasion of Iraq, is a closely guarded secret.

But yesterday, for the first time, journalists were given limited access.

American and Hungarian officials were keen to stress that the exiles were
not an "army" preparing to invade Iraq.

The Hungarian defence minister, Ferenc Juhasz, said: "You can see clearly
that it is not a question of military training .. we will be preparing
people to take care of the relations between the civilians and the
military."

But Iraqi opposition sources described the force as a "magnet", or the
nucleus of a Free Iraqi Army to which soldiers in the regular army would be
encouraged to defect, rather than endure the ignominy of surrendering to the
Americans.

The same sources said the force was the brainchild of Ahmad Chalabi, the
leader of the Iraqi National Congress, one of several opposition groups
based outside Iraq.

The INC supplied many of the names from which the Americans are choosing the
3,000 trainees.

That has led rival Iraqi opposition figures to suggest that this force will
be Mr Chalabi's, giving him a potentially bigger role in a post-Saddam
Hussein Iraq.

Iraqis close to the INC say that the main criterion used by the US for
selection is past military training - the exiles should have served as
officers in the Iraqi armed forces - and a tough security screening.

"The primary criterion is that they are all volunteers," Major-General David
Barno, the US officer in charge of the base, said yesterday. "We anticipate
that some will have a military background, but many will not."

He said the men would wear what he called a "distinctive uniform which makes
evident who they are" but declined to give further details.

"Their role in any potential operations will be in the area of support to US
and coalition military operations," he said.

They would also receive some firearms training, but for security reasons he
could not provide details of what types or calibre of weapons.

One possible military role could be as rear area security forces, such as
guards.

"They are not being trained as combat forces," he added.

Hungary is home to at least 500 Iraqis who have settled permanently in the
country, or have arrived recently as asylum-seekers.

"For years, we have been dreaming that Iraqis could share in the war against
Saddam Hussein," said Hussein Daood, the head of the Bu dapest branch of the
Iraqi human rights association. "All war is hateful, but it seems there is
no other way to remove him from power."

His hope is that an uprising of the Iraqi people will begin the moment the
first invasion forces land.

That scenario would give the Iraqis trained at Taszar a crucial role, as a
link between a popular uprising and US led troops.

But he said that Iraqis living in Hungary had no links with the force being
assembled at Taszar, and would not know who to contact, even if they wanted
to join it.

At a refugee camp at Bicske, near Budapest, a young man who spoke on
condition that his name would not be used said he had fled Iraq several
months ago, to avoid being called up again as a reservist. He said Iraqis
had heard reports of Taszar with amazement. "Are you sure that such a camp
exists?" he asked.

Taszar was an important supply post for US forces serving in Bosnia, with
7,000 based here at the peak of that operation.