Following is question taken at the August 29 State Department briefing about U.S. support of Iraqi opposition activities and the response from the Office of the Spokesman:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
For Immediate Release                                                                                    August 29, 2002
2002/751

Question Taken at Daily Press Briefing of Thursday, August 29, 2002

IRAQ: IRAQI OPPOSITION TO CONVENE CONFERENCE IN THE NETHERLANDS

Question: Is the Iraqi opposition meeting in the Netherlands sponsored or supported by the U.S. and, if so, is it intended to announce a "government-in-exile?"

Answer:

We look forward to the upcoming political conference that is being planned by some key Iraqi opposition groups. It will include the broad range of organizations and voices that make up the Iraqi opposition community. At present, we have not been approached to fund a conference in the Netherlands.

We applaud the efforts of the Iraqi opposition in their coordination and cooperation with each other and in their work towards a regime change in Iraq that results is a democratic, representative government, at peace with its neighbors, and ready to lead Iraq to rejoin the family of nations.

At this point, the President has made no decision on the use of force or military action in Iraq; therefore, any discussion of future governments by us at this time would be premature.