"We need to stop the disorder and the looting and this can be done by deploying Free Iraqi Forces in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities," Chalabi told

"We need to got forward with the de-Baathification programme, and we need to restore basic services and public services," he said.

Chalabi claimed to have have over 1,200 members of the Free Iraqi forces now in the south, north and centre of the country.

"We can expand them to several thousand very quickly," he said, adding that he expected them to be operating in Baghdad "very soon".

SPACE.WIRE