Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=01/27/03

TYPE=U-S PRESS REVIEW

TITLE=KURDISH FIGHTERS

NUMBER=6-12807

BYLINE=Andrew Guthrie

DATELINE=Washington

EDITOR=Assignments

TELEPHONE=619-3335

CONTENT=

INTRO: The national daily newspaper, U-S-A Today, reports on Kurdish Pesh Merga fighters preparing for their role in a possible war with Baghdad. Boston's Christian Science Monitor discusses the possibility of a popular uprising in Iraq, but feels it may be too late for that. And The Los Angeles Times reports that Secretary of State Colin Powell, speaking in Davos, Switzerland, says if necessary the United States will attack Iraq alone.

TEXT: Here are excerpts of several stories relating to the conflict with Iraq. In a large feature article, U-S-A Today shows photographs of both Kurdish men and women carrying rifles at a training camp near Sulaymaniyah in Northern Iraq. The article reports than even little children can "recite the litany of betrayals that dot the timeline of Kurdish history" . ending with mistreatment, including poison gas by Saddam Hussein. U-S-A Today also reports the Kurds are impatient with French and German resistance to a war and feel the U-N weapons inspectors are wasting their time.

The article talks about how the Kurds are planning to defend themselves in the event of a war involving the United States and Iraq. The article suggests that U-S Special Forces troopers are already working with the Kurds to improve airfields and set up security for a planned conference of Iraqi opposition leaders in early February.

Boston's Christian Science Monitor wonders whether it is "too late for a popular uprising (against Saddam Hussein) inside Iraq?" The article suggests that the current U-S pressure against the country might still spark a popular uprising similar to the "one that brought down Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic in 2000." But most experts it quotes feel the time for such action has passed.

The Los Angeles Times reports as its lead story that U-S Secretary of State Colin Powell says in Davos, Switzerland that, if necessary, Washington reserves the right to go to war with Iraq "without the U-N," although Secretary Powell continues to plead for international support.

The California newspaper also reports Secretary Powell "revived the Bush administration's assertion that the government of President Saddam Hussein has links to the al-Qaida terrorist network."

That completes this sampling of stories in the U-S press focused on the conflict with Iraq.

NEB/ANG/JP