First 'Free Iraqis' flown to Gulf

First 'Free Iraqis' flown to Gulf

By Nick Childs BBC Pentagon correspondent

The Pentagon says the first group of Iraqi opposition volunteers who have been trained in Hungary have already been sent forward to the Gulf.

The recruits come from a wide mix of ethnic backgrounds

But a US general heading the training effort says the volunteers have been prepared mainly for post-war humanitarian efforts, rather than combat as originally expected.

US Army Major General David Barno said the first group to complete the training course was deployed to the region about two weeks ago.

Major General Barno would not say how many were involved, but a figure of 50 has been reported.

'Basic' training

The Pentagon is calling them Free Iraqi Forces, or FIF.

It was originally reported that the opposition volunteers would be trained to support front-line units.

Major General Barno said how they were employed would be up to local commanders.

But in a telephone link-up with the Pentagon from the training base in Hungary, he said the focus of the training was on humanitarian support.

"The fundamental purpose of the training programme is not to train them to accompany front-line units, as much as it is to work in a relief supply, working with civil military organisations that are beginning to flow into the theatre," he said.

The volunteers have been issued with uniforms that identify them as FIF, but in terms of military skills they have received only basic self-defence training.

Some may have had military experience in the past, but Major General Barno said they had come to the training course from a variety of civilian backgrounds.

The volunteers - who range in age from 18 to 55 - are a mix of Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites and have so far mainly been recruited from North America and Western Europe.

The general said he could train up to 3,000 volunteers over this year.