Iraq Council May Reinstate Baath Members

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030930/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_baath_party&cid=540&ncid=1480

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council said Tuesday it would study the reinstatement of members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party to their jobs.

The council said ministries would form committees to examine whether employees who once belonged to the now-outlawed party should be reinstated to their civil service jobs.

However, on Monday, Charles Heatley, spokesman for the American-led Coalition Provisional Authority, said there would not be an appeals mechanism for individuals who lost their jobs because they were members in the Baath Party.

Heatley said that while there was a "procedure for exemptions which could be considered on the basis of whether people are both essential to their jobs, and whether they did not, in fact, commit any crimes in their previous employment ... there've been very few cases of those exemptions granted."

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[Mikimouse]

1. Mr. Heatley, excuse me

The members of the 'New Iraqi' leadership are not yours to choose. Think democracy, sir, instead of occupation (as you clearly do). It was your folks that opened this canof worms, now please be kind enough to SHUT UP!

[TolstoyAndy]

2. No "may" about it

This might be news in terms of the puppet council allowing Baathists, but we've been hiring ex-members of Saddam's Mukhabarat secret police for months.

But it's important to note, _only_ if said Mukhabaratis agree not to return to their old ways of torture, etc. So it's really fine, nothing to see here. /sarcasm off

[lostnfound]

3. 'I thought they were coming to arrest me; they made me mayor'

One former Baath Party official commented on seeing US troops approaching his door "I thought they were coming to arrest me; but actually they were coming to make me the mayor."

[Jack The Tab]

4. The sad thing is...

That Ba'ath party was the only way to success in that country. I don't want to get flamed here, but while I'm sure there are thousands of very sick people with a lot of blood on their hands, there may be hundreds of thousands of Ba'ath members with expertise needed, and only were in the party because of necessity.