http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/iraq-ready-to-accept-baathist-civil-servants/2007/03/27/1174761470707.html
Iraq ready to accept Baathist civil servants IRAQ'S Prime Minister and President have approved a draft law allowing many former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party to return to their government jobs. The legislation, seen by the US as crucial to pacifying Iraq, will go to parliament as soon as it is reviewed by cabinet officials, according to a spokesman for Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. After the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the US-led occupation authority stripped thousands of members of Saddam's ruling Baath Party, most of them Sunni Arabs, of their government jobs. The law has been a target of criticism by the minority Sunnis, whose most aggrieved elements have fought a bloody insurgency against the Shiite-led Iraqi Government and US forces. "This law will be a pillar in building national reconciliation and in starting the process of healing and rehabilitation," Mr Maliki and President Jalal Talabani said in a statement announcing the draft's completion. Under US pressure, Mr Maliki agreed last year to address the issue of former Baathists by early this year. Some US officials had recently warned that efforts were stalled. The draft, released by the US embassy yesterday, would let all but the three highest levels of Baathists return to their jobs, provided they had not been involved in criminal activity. All those who lost jobs would collect a pension. It was unclear how many former Baathists would benefit from the legislation. Mr Maliki's political adviser, Sadiq al-Rikabi, said the draft would probably go before Parliament this week and top officials would pressure lawmakers to pass it quickly. Sunni lawmaker Alaa Makki, who had not seen the draft, said he expected it to generate debate in Parliament. But he said an agreement could "reactivate" a political process that has often been paralysed by sectarian divisions. "A lot of people really were wrongly punished," he said. "It will be a positive sign of political success if this law is passed and accepted. And many people will get to reconciliation." Outgoing US ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad called for such a measure on Monday in a farewell news conference, at which he repeatedly urged Iraqi leaders to quickly resolve their differences or risk losing American support. "The members of the coalition, as well as other countries, have made enormous sacrifices to give Iraq a chance to build a stable and democratic order," Mr Khalilzad said. "Iraqis must not lose this opportunity and they must step up and take the tough decisions necessary for success." Mr Khalilzad, 56, who leaves his post after 21 months and is expected to be approved as the US ambassador to the United Nations, gave a restrained appraisal of the prospects for stability. He pointed to a 25 per cent drop in violence in Baghdad under a six-week-old security plan. But he said he had a "caveated optimism" that the country would make progress as quickly as Americans wanted it to. WASHINGTON POST [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
