The Iraqi Rebels: Who They Are and What They Want

\o7 WASHINGTON\f7 — \o7 Questions and answers on the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War:\f7

Question: What are the goals of the two separate groups of rebels fighting against the Iraqi government?

Answer: In northern Iraq, the rebellion was mounted by Kurds, the dominant ethnic group in that region. In the south, the revolt was begun by Shiite Muslims, by far the largest religious group in that area. The Kurds are fighting for autonomy or independence for their own region, while the Shiites want to take power in Baghdad. It appears that forces loyal to Saddam Hussein are on the verge of crushing both insurgencies.

Q: Who are the Kurds?

A: The Kurds are the fourth-largest ethnic group in the Middle East, with about 19.6 million people concentrated in a mountainous region that spills across Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria and the Soviet Union. Before the war, there were nearly 4 million Kurds in Iraq. Several Kurdish groups are involved in the rebellion, but the overall leader is Masoud Barzani, head of the Kurdish Democratic Party.

Q: Who are the Shiites?

A: Shiites are adherents to one of two main branches of Islam. Although they are outnumbered by Sunni Muslims worldwide, they are the majority in Iraq and the dominant group in neighboring Iran. More than 60% of Iraq's population of 18.8 million are Shiites, compared to less than 37% who are Sunnis. However, Iraq's government has long been dominated by Sunnis, the religious group of President Hussein and his main backers.

Q: What is the position of the Bush Administration regarding the civil war?

A: President Bush has said repeatedly that the United States will never establish normal relations with Iraq as long as Hussein is in power. He has urged the Iraqis to overthrow the Hussein dictatorship. However, the President says that the United States has no intention of committing its own forces to the fighting, even if that inaction dooms the rebels to defeat.

Q: Has the United States done anything at all to help the rebels?

A: The U.S. military command has ordered Iraq to keep its fixed-wing aircraft on the ground and, therefore, out of the fight against the rebels. Two Iraqi planes that defied the ban were shot down. However, the official rationale for the restriction--imposed as part of the temporary cease-fire that ended the war in late February--is to protect U.S. and allied personnel from possible attack.