14 March 2003
U.S.-Trained Volunteer Iraqi Exiles Await the Call to Go Home
(More Iraqis will undergo training throughout the year) (740) By Jacquelyn S. Porth Washington File Security Affairs Writer Washington --- They come from all walks of life -- some are business owners while others are teachers in North America and Europe --- but these members of the Iraqi opposition have now turned their backs on their economic livelihood to work alongside coalition forces in the Persian Gulf to help build a free and democratic Iraq as soon as the opportunity arises. The first contingent of Iraqi volunteers --- drawn from the exile community --- graduated from a U.S. Army training program in Taszar, Hungary, two weeks ago and are now deployed ever so much closer to their homeland. These newly minted Iraqi trainees are not meant to serve as front-line combat troops, but they are assigned to American military civil affairs units because the Iraqi exiles have unique skills to offer in what is expected to be a massive undertaking to rebuild Iraq in any post-conflict scenario. The volunteers represent diverse economic and social backgrounds and they include Iraqi Sunni, Shi'a and Kurds; they are said to represent all the religions and ethnicities of Iraq. But they train together in Hungary, learning first aid, about the law of armed conflict, what constitutes ethical decision making and how to use equipment to protect against nuclear, chemical and biological attacks, as well as how to operate a 9 mm pistol safely. In the event of conflict in Iraq, these specially trained "Free Iraqi Forces" will be ready to deal with displaced citizens and to help move humanitarian aid where it will be most effective. They have the language, the regional knowledge and cultural sensitivity to help coalition forces and non-governmental organizations and relief groups make a difference. Army Major General David Barno works with this exile community at an Army training base in Taszar and has heard firsthand some of their stories of hardship in Iraq before they left home to start new lives elsewhere. Some have relatives still living in Iraq. He spoke to reporters at the Pentagon March 14 via telephone and said each of these Iraqis have relinquished "what they built outside of Iraq ... to volunteer for this program, to potentially assist coalition forces in building a free and democratic Iraq." A second wave of Iraqi volunteers are undergoing training now and will be ready to join the first contingent soon, according to Barno. Arrangements are being made to accommodate a third group in the next few weeks, he said. While noncommittal about the total number of volunteers in the field and in the training pipeline, the military officer said they could number in the hundreds or greater and that his civil-military trainers were ready to handle up to 3,000 within the calendar year. Barno, who heads up the training-oriented "Task Force Warrior" in Taszar, says he is impressed by the focused nature of the Iraqi recruits and the personal commitment each volunteer has exhibited "to transforming Iraq into a democratic country that follows the rule of law and respects human rights." They should be "of great value to our forces," he said, while expressing his delight at the "tremendous commitment" he has witnessed in his new recruits. Barno said the primary focus of their training "is to assist in the post-conflict arena should that be required," but he also noted that "their value endures beyond any decision that may be made in the next weeks or months." Now, working side-by-side with their American trainers, Barno said each volunteer soon learns what a civil-military center does in the field and how international organizations interact with it as part of combined effort to bring normalcy back to conflict-ridden areas. If and when they move into Iraq, the "Free Iraqi Forces" will be wearing uniforms that will distinguish them from other coalition forces, the officer said. They are also likely to look a bit more "mature" than their coalition counterparts, since their average age is around 34 years old. They range in age, he said, from 18 to 55. Barno also expressed American gratitude to NATO member Hungary for hosting the training mission for the "Free Iraqi Forces" at what he described as a "phenomenal training facility." Training has "gone extraordinarily well," he said, noting that the Hungarian military is largely behind that success. (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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