Prince Hassan of Jordan joins conference on overthrowing leader as new British force announced
Brian Whitaker Saturday July 13, 2002 The Guardian
Exiled Iraqi officers and opposition groups gathering in London to discuss the overthrow of Saddam Hussein were upstaged last night by Prince Hassan of Jordan.
Surrounded by TV cameras, the prince made a theatrical entrance moments before the meeting began but said he was only attending as an observer.
There have been conflicting claims about Jordan's willingness to be used as a launch pad for a US attack on Iraq.
Prince Hassan, brother of the late King Hussein, was heir to the Jordanian throne until the terminally ill king removed him from the succession and replaced him with his son, the present King Abdullah.
He took a seat at the front next to Sharif Ali, leader of the Iraqi monarchist movement, who is a descendant of Iraq's last king. Leaving after 45 minutes, the prince gave a press conference where he said he had not intended to attract so much media attention.
Arab journalists said it was unlikely that the prince would have made his high-profile intervention without the king's permission.
Some suggested that King Abdullah, who has been making frequent trips to Washington, may have decided that President Saddam is doomed and that it is time to build bridges with the Iraqi opposition.
The conference, held in Kensington town hall under a banner proclaiming One Army for a United Iraq, was planned as a private meeting of exiled officers to discuss Saddam's overthrow, but turned into the biggest photo opportunity the opposition has seen in years.
Last night, the "magnificent 70" officers were heavily outnumbered by journalists and civilian representatives of Iraqi opposition parties. The core group of officers - who include several generals - will continue their talks today and tomorrow at a secret location in London.
Media interest in the event led several political groups who initially had doubts about attending to change their minds.
The US-funded Iraqi National Congress, an umbrella organisation for opposition groups which had not previously been involved, declared its "total support" for the gathering.
The head of the INC, Ahmed Chalabi, speaking outside the meeting, said he had no intention of seeking office in a future Iraqi government.
"My job will end with the liberation of Iraq," he said. The US state department has expressed concern over how American taxpayers' money is being used by the group.
The organisers of the conference, a group called the Iraqi Military Alliance, want the officers to commit themselves to civilian government if and when Saddam Hussein is overthrown. But at least one key figure, General Nizar al-Khazraji, is believed to prefer military rule and is not attending.
Meanwhile, crack British troops are to be specially trained in anticipation of possible attacks on Iraq and for the continuing war against international terrorism, senior defence officials said.
US officials have reported that SAS troops and MI6 agents are already in Iraq working with opposition groups in the northern Kurdish areas of the country. However, the reports follow a string of recent leaks from the US defence department which British officials describe as part of a psychological warfare campaign directed at potential defectors in the Iraqi armed forces.