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Iraq's New Law on Ex-Baathists Could Bring Another Purge
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| Contributor | ArmyDem |
| Last Edited | ArmyDem Jan 23, 2008 11:17am |
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| Category | News |
| Media | Newspaper - Washington Post |
| News Date | Wednesday, January 23, 2008 05:00:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | By Amit R. Paley and Joshua Partlow
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, January 23, 2008; Page A01
BAGHDAD -- Maj. Gen. Hussein al-Awadi, a former official in Saddam Hussein's Baath Party, became the commander of the Iraqi National Police despite a 2003 law barring the party from government.
But now, under new legislation promoted as way to return former Baathists to public life, the 56-year-old and thousands like him could be forced out of jobs they have been allowed to hold, according to Iraqi lawmakers and the government agency that oversees ex-Baathists.
"This new law is very confusing," Awadi said. "I don't really know what it means for me."
He is not alone. More than a dozen Iraqi lawmakers, U.S. officials and former Baathists here and in exile expressed concern in interviews that the law could set off a new purge of ex-Baathists, the opposite of U.S. hopes for the legislation.
Approved by parliament this month under pressure from U.S. officials, the law was heralded by President Bush and Iraqi leaders as a way to soothe the deep anger of many ex-Baathists -- primarily Sunnis but also many Shiites such as Awadi -- toward the Shiite-led government. |
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