"We do not want to take revenge on anyone but we must uproot Saddam's Baath party from Iraq forever," the Iraqi National Congress (INC) leader told a crowd of some 10,000 people, the statement said.

"I salute you who have suffered under Saddam's tyranny and oppression over so many years. I can tell you that those days are finished.

"We are working hard to see an Iraq built on the rule of law, democracy and the rights of individuals. We want an Iraq where every person, regardless of who he is, is equal to the next person."

Chalabi, who enjoys strong backing from the Pentagon, is being tipped to play a major role in the political set up after the downfall of Saddam.

Chalabi's presence in Nasiriyah was announced on Sunday by the INC, which also said it had sent 700 fighters to southern Iraq to "assist coalition forces in defeating the remaining Baathist and pro-Saddam elements" as well as help deliver humanitarian aid and maintain law and order.

His party has welcomed the prospect of a post-war interim administration led by retired US general Jay Garner, but he made clear that the long-term future lay in the hands of Iraqis.

"Nobody will impose their power over Iraq. Iraqis will elect their own leadership," he told the crowd.

SPACE.WIRE