U.S. Earmarks Iraqi Groups to Receive Aid

WASHINGTON — The CIA-backed Iraqi National Congress and two Kurdish militias controlling parts of northern Iraq will be among seven Iraqi opposition groups designated by the Clinton administration as eligible to receive $97 million in U.S. military assistance under the Iraq Liberation Act, administration officials said Friday.

Officials described the selection of those groups as a first step toward unifying the Iraqi opposition.

The administration has not decided whether to actually supply arms, vehicles and other military equipment, officials said.

The Iraq Liberation Act, passed in October, requires the administration to designate by Jan. 30 opposition groups as eligible for military aid on the basis of their commitment to democratic principles, their inclusion of “a broad spectrum of Iraqi individuals” and their desire to maintain “Iraq’s territorial integrity.”