Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=3-6-03

TYPE=English Feature

NUMBER=7-37248

TITLE=Iraqi Americans: Post-Saddam Iraq

BYLINE=Faiza Elmasry

TELEPHONE=619-0940

DATELINE=Washington

EDITOR=vicki swaney

CONTENT=

INTRO: Many Iraqi-Americans are already planning for a new Iraq without Saddam Hussein. Faiza Elmasry has details.

TEXT: Around 300,000 Iraqis now call the United States home. Many immigrated in the last ten years and still have family and friends in Iraq. With the possibility of war in that country, many Iraqi Americans are showing their support and donating their money to the people of their native country.

AUDIO: CUT 1- ATTAR

"Iraqis in exile are ready to help their own country, ready to correct whatever destruction happened to the system after thirty four years of the Baa'th regime."

TEXT: Ali Al-Attar, the president of the Arab American Medical Association in Washington DC, is an active member of the Iraqi National group, ING. The group was founded six months ago in the United States to appeal to Iraqi Americans to join in the eventual re-building of their native country. Laith Kubba is the president of the group, which has around two hundred members throughout the US and Canada.

AUDIO: //CUT 2- KUBBA//

"We believe firmly in the need for a regime change in Iraq and that Iraq cannot proceed without a regime change. We welcome help in bringing that regime change. However, it does not mean that we support the war. This is a highly controversial issue. What we do see is that the majority of the Iraqis, including those in Saddam's cabinet, would like to see a regime change."

TEXT: The Iraqi National Group, or ING, has plans to help reduce the suffering of the Iraqi people in the post Saddam era. Aziz Altaee, head of the ING's government committee, says the Group is also concerned about Iraq's future political structure.

AUDIO: //CUT 3- ALTAEE//

"We are discussing what local government should do, what kind of political system we should have. And we all agree on the decentralization. We should have local government in each state."

TEXT: ING president Kubba says that in order to plan for a smooth and a successful regime change in Iraq, crucial questions must be addressed.

AUDIO: //CUT4- KUBBA//

"After thirty or forty years of state controlled media and more or less a totalitarian system that enforces its own ideology, how are we going to make a transition to an independent system where people can express their cultural diversity without undermining their country's interest? How to revive the independent sector, that means independent associations and non-governmental organizations? How to revive the private sector in the economy? How to encourage the Iraqi capital to come back and invest in Iraq?"

TEXT: Humanitarian assistance is an urgent topic on their agenda, especially with the possibility of a war in Iraq. Mr. Kubba says his group is ready to assist the international humanitarian organizations.

AUDIO: //CUT 5- KUBBA ACT//

"Maybe the group does not have the resources to carry out the humanitarian needs, but we certainly have the commitment to help other groups. We have a group of Iraqi doctors who have identified areas that will require immediate help. So if the international organizations come and say we want to help, we immediately highlight to them where that help should go."

TEXT: Raya Ahmed, a member of the ING in Washington DC, says she plans to enlist Iraqi American volunteers to help in the relief work.

AUDIO: //CUT 6- AHMED//

"We know that there are shortages in certain things such as medical supplies and facilities as well as chemical warfare protection methods, like gas masks. Right now we are discussing the mechanisms, working and coordinating with NGOs, United Nations as well as the U.S organizations and the U.S Army. There is room for us to help out in any shape or way. Even if we can go to a border country, if we can set up an office in Amman, Jordan, or maybe in Kuwait or Syria, and use that office as a way for us to regroup our efforts and get volunteers, we will do that."

TEXT: Ms. Ahmed says, in case of war, psychological help would be as important as providing Iraqis with food and medical supplies.

(BEGIN OPT)AUDIO: //CUT 7- AHMED//

"There is a tremendous need for psychological reassurance, that people are not going to be panicking and not going to be resorting to desperate methods. We hope that this is going to be a very smooth and quick transition."(END OPT)

TEXT: Ilham Al-Sarraf, an Iraqi American psychologist in Pasadena, California, observes that Iraqis are now anticipating grief.

AUDIO: //CUT 8- ALSARRAF//

"That is when you are anticipating a bad thing to happen to you and you are wondering when it is going to happen. It is the most difficult period. Once action takes place, there is a sense of relief. I do not mean relief in a sense of euphoria, but like it has happened, it is done with. It requires a lot of psychological assistance and intervention. We cannot go there freely and administer that. We could do it on a smaller scale by talking to our families."

TEXT: Psychologist Al-sarraf says although some Iraqi Americans might feel helpless, many others are volunteering their time and energy to help with humanitarian organizations. Mrs. Alsarraf says the efforts of the Iraqi Americans convey a positive message to the people of Iraq, that they are not alone.