It's gonna happen. No longer any doubt about that. All the new leadership council (which has a far greater claim to legitimacy as representatives of the Iraqi people than does Saddam Hussein) needs to do is formally invite American and other willing liberation forces into Iraq, and it's a done deal.

So screw the UN and the do-nothings of Old Europe. Who needs them and their support and approval anyway? If they'd rather foolishly fiddle while Saddam kills thousands and threatens millions, that's their problem. The US and the UK will do the right thing, disarm and defang Saddam, rescue and liberate the long-suffering Iraqi people. And we'll do it with the support and assistance of their legitimate representatives.

Iraqi opposition plan an Iraq after Saddam

By Borzou Daraghi, Associated Press, 3/1/2003 18:48

SALAHUDDIN, Iraq (AP) The fragmented Iraqi opposition took a step toward unity Saturday and insisted they should be allowed to run the country's affairs if Saddam Hussein is ousted.

Despite many differences and lingering unsettled issues, the conference of 54 representatives of an opposition steering committee, appears to have established the groundwork for a post-Saddam Iraqi leadership.

''The Iraqi people should have the first and last word in deciding and managing the affairs of their country,'' their four-page joint statement declared.

The largely closed-door conference in the autonomous Kurdish enclave of northern Iraq began Wednesday after three days of informal meetings.

It ended with the establishment of a six-member leadership council and the issuing of a joint statement publicly affirmed by all four major opposition groups.

It said the six-member leadership as well as 14 specialized committees were set up by the conference ''in order to prepare for liberation and to prevent the emergence of a political, administrative and security vacuum.''

Zalmay Khalilzad, White House envoy to the opposition, told reporters after the conference, ''I want to tell the Iraqi people that help is on its way.''

''President Bush sent us here to reaffirm our commitment to a democratic, representative, broadbased future Iraqi government,'' Khalilzad said.

The U.S. envoy had addressed the opening session Wednesday, trying tried to allay opposition concerns about a planned U.S., military governorship for Iraq if Saddam is overthrown in a threatened war.

He insisted that such a military government would not last longer than necessary to stabilize the country.