Iraq began weapons training Saturday for the 6.6 million who have volunteered to fight alongside the Palestinians in their uprising against Israel, officials said.
Physical education will be part of the training which started at university campuses and ruling Baath party facilities across the country, they said.
President Saddam Hussein announced Friday that 6,607,306 men and women had come forward following his October 8 call for volunteers to fight a jihad, or holy war, in the Palestinian territories.
Millions of Iraqis have undergone basic training in recent years in response to rallying cries against the United States and Britain, which bomb Iraq frequently as they enforce no-fly zones imposed after the 1991 Gulf War.
Iraq, strongly opposed to the Middle East peace process, has said it is giving five million euros (4.35 million dollars) to families of those killed in the Palestinian clashes and toward the uprising -- BAGHDAD (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
