Iraqi opposition aims for unity

The Iraqi opposition has much work to do

US-led forces should not be allowed to occupy Iraq if there is a war to remove President Saddam Hussein from power, Iraqi opposition groups say.

But they said Iraq would need outside help if it is to become a democratic and free country.

If the US forces and other allied forces take military action to remove this regime, definitely they will have a major influence on shaping the country's future

Hoshyar Zebari, Kurdistan Democratic Party

The opposition representatives, who live in exile, were speaking on the final day of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Iraqi opposition groups met in London last month and agreed to work together to help run a post-Saddam Iraq.

Hoshyar Zebari, a senior member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), said forming a "credible opposition" was a key step in ensuring Iraqis could run the country, with minimal foreign intervention.

But he accepted that if the US and its allies launched military action they would have a great deal of political influence.

"As an occupation this would not be acceptable," he said. "But at the same time let's be realistic.

"If the US forces and other allied forces take military action to remove this regime, definitely they will have a major influence on shaping the country's future."

Differing views

The opposition leaders said they would need at least two years of support from the United Nations and non-governmental organisations, while a transitional government was installed.

The Iraqis said they had gone to the World Economic Forum to give a voice to the ordinary people of Iraq.

But the BBC's Emma Jane Kirby in Davos says the opposition groups have very fragmented views and will need to do a lot of work before they can convince the international community they are capable of leading Iraq to stability.

All the opposition groups speaking at the forum said war should be a last resort.

"No Iraqi would like to see a war or see his country being occupied by a single soldier, not to say an army," said Ghassan Atiyyah, editor-in-chief of the UK-based Iraqi File.

But some opposition figures said disarming Saddam's regime would not be enough.

Riyadh Al-Yawar, of the Iraqi National Congress, said it would be easy for Saddam "or any other government which is not committed to peace" to restart a chemical weapons programme.