July 16, 2003	Wednesday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 15, 1424

DUBAI, July 15: Two previously unknown Iraqi groups on Tuesday warned countries against sending troops to Iraq, where US troops are facing daily attacks, Arab television channels said on Tuesday.

“We strongly reject and will resist with weapons any military intervention under the umbrella of the United Nations, the Security Council, Nato, or Islamic and Arab countries,” a group calling itself the Iraq Liberation Army said in a statement shown on the Dubai-based al-Arabiya television.

Thirty-two US soldiers have been killed in guerrilla attacks in Iraq since President George W. Bush declared major combat over on May 1.

Troops from Spain, Poland, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, the Baltic states and possibly from the Philippines, Thailand, Mongolia and Fiji are likely to be part of the peacekeeping forces in Iraq.

Bangladesh and Pakistan, both Muslim nations, have also been asked to take part in peacekeeping operations but they have not announced any decision yet and there is considerable domestic opposition to the proposals.

India said on Monday it would not send troops to Iraq without a United Nations mandate, rejecting a request from Washington for help in the war-torn nation.

Qatar-based al-Jazeera television also showed a statement from another Iraqi group — the “Iraqi National Islamic Resistance: 1920 Revolution Brigades”, in reference to Iraq’s history fighting British colonial rule — warning against further foreign intervention.

It said that anti-US attacks had forced Washington to seek help from multinational forces and speed up the creation of a Governing Council, which was launched on Sunday.—Reuters