Political Party in Mosul Emerges With Own Army By DAVID ROHDE
MOSUL, Iraq, April 17 � Across this battered city, Iraqi political parties have slowly begun opening up new offices this week. But only one group shares a base with American Special Forces soldiers, has a private army trained by the Americans and is guarding a local hospital alongside American troops.
"I believe the I.N.C. will succeed," predicted Nabeel Musawi, the 41-year-old deputy director of the Iraqi National Congress. "I believe the I.N.C. is the future of Iraq."
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But in Mosul and other cities, local leaders have already expressed vehement opposition to a government headed by exiles.
Two weeks ago, the American military airlifted Mr. Chalabi and 600 of his self-declared Free Iraqi Fighters into southern Iraq near the city of Nasiriya. Earlier this week, military officials appointed Dr. Muhammad Zobaidi, a representative of the Iraqi National Congress, to manage Baghdad and serve as its de facto mayor.
In the north, about 230 of Mr. Chalabi's fighters have undergone training at an Iraqi military hospital turned by the Americans into a special operations base. On the outside wall of the base, the words "Iraqi National Congress" have been painted.
Mr. Chalabi, a 58-year-old banker who has not lived in his country for more than 40 years, pays the salaries, weapons and food of the fighters out of his own pocket, Mr. Musawi said. The Pentagon, which commands the fighters, is providing the training and transportation.
The soldiers are paid $150 a month, a small fortune for Mosul, where the city's chief judge, for instance, makes $50 a month.
Mr. Musawi, 42, a software developer and Iraqi exile from London, has big plans for the group. Joint patrols with American forces. Joint patrols with the local police. And projecting the I.N.C. as a local authority in town.
"I was very pleasantly surprised by the reception our people are getting here," Mr. Musawi said as he sat in a compound guarded by American soldiers. "People not only know who we are, they are very pleased to see us."
But in a series of interviews over the last several days, few people in Mosul seemed to have heard of the congress. Gen. Abdul Aziz Omar, Mosul's new police chief, said he knew nothing about joint patrols with the group.
"We have no idea about the I.N.C.," he said. "They entered with the agreement of American forces."
Told they were an opposition group, General Aziz shrugged and said dozens of groups had opened offices in the city. "Anyone can come here and raise a flag," he said.
So far, the fighters' activities have been limited to guarding the city's general hospital and a munitions dump. At the hospital, where Mr. Chalabi's troops stand guard alongside Americans, workers seemed confused by them. Some referred to them as coming from southern Iraq. Others said they were American troops.
That can be a double-edged sword. Being closely associated with American forces appears to give the congress additional clout on the ground. But it also makes them vulnerable to being depicted as American puppets.
Most of the 230 fighters being trained here are from the Basra region in southern Iraq. Many had moved to Iran and lived as refugees following a failed Shiite uprising against Mr. Hussein in 1991. One trainee said he was 16.
"I don't believe in others," said Saleh Farhood Abdullah, 43, one of the fighters here. "I like this organization because it is democracy."
Mr. Musawi insisted the group was here to help all Iraqis and would not be used as political leverage by Mr. Chalabi. But he pointed out that the party was perfectly positioned to help lead a new government.
"The only political entity on the ground is the I.N.C.," he said. "All the rest are just political groups."
MOSUL, Iraq, April 17 � Across this battered city, Iraqi political parties have slowly begun opening up new offices this week. But only one group shares a base with American Special Forces soldiers, has a private army trained by the Americans and is guarding a local hospital alongside American troops.
"I believe the I.N.C. will succeed," predicted Nabeel Musawi, the 41-year-old deputy director of the Iraqi National Congress. "I believe the I.N.C. is the future of Iraq."
>>
But in Mosul and other cities, local leaders have already expressed vehement opposition to a government headed by exiles.
Two weeks ago, the American military airlifted Mr. Chalabi and 600 of his self-declared Free Iraqi Fighters into southern Iraq near the city of Nasiriya. Earlier this week, military officials appointed Dr. Muhammad Zobaidi, a representative of the Iraqi National Congress, to manage Baghdad and serve as its de facto mayor.
In the north, about 230 of Mr. Chalabi's fighters have undergone training at an Iraqi military hospital turned by the Americans into a special operations base. On the outside wall of the base, the words "Iraqi National Congress" have been painted.
Mr. Chalabi, a 58-year-old banker who has not lived in his country for more than 40 years, pays the salaries, weapons and food of the fighters out of his own pocket, Mr. Musawi said. The Pentagon, which commands the fighters, is providing the training and transportation.
The soldiers are paid $150 a month, a small fortune for Mosul, where the city's chief judge, for instance, makes $50 a month.
Mr. Musawi, 42, a software developer and Iraqi exile from London, has big plans for the group. Joint patrols with American forces. Joint patrols with the local police. And projecting the I.N.C. as a local authority in town.
"I was very pleasantly surprised by the reception our people are getting here," Mr. Musawi said as he sat in a compound guarded by American soldiers. "People not only know who we are, they are very pleased to see us."
But in a series of interviews over the last several days, few people in Mosul seemed to have heard of the congress. Gen. Abdul Aziz Omar, Mosul's new police chief, said he knew nothing about joint patrols with the group.
"We have no idea about the I.N.C.," he said. "They entered with the agreement of American forces."
Told they were an opposition group, General Aziz shrugged and said dozens of groups had opened offices in the city. "Anyone can come here and raise a flag," he said.
So far, the fighters' activities have been limited to guarding the city's general hospital and a munitions dump. At the hospital, where Mr. Chalabi's troops stand guard alongside Americans, workers seemed confused by them. Some referred to them as coming from southern Iraq. Others said they were American troops.
That can be a double-edged sword. Being closely associated with American forces appears to give the congress additional clout on the ground. But it also makes them vulnerable to being depicted as American puppets.
Most of the 230 fighters being trained here are from the Basra region in southern Iraq. Many had moved to Iran and lived as refugees following a failed Shiite uprising against Mr. Hussein in 1991. One trainee said he was 16.
"I don't believe in others," said Saleh Farhood Abdullah, 43, one of the fighters here. "I like this organization because it is democracy."
Mr. Musawi insisted the group was here to help all Iraqis and would not be used as political leverage by Mr. Chalabi. But he pointed out that the party was perfectly positioned to help lead a new government.
"The only political entity on the ground is the I.N.C.," he said. "All the rest are just political groups."
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