ICTJ in the News

February 3, 2008

Reconciliation law could widen rift between sects

Kansas City Star

By Steve Lannen and Leila Fadel

McClatchy Newspapers

BAGHDAD -- A new law intended to reverse the firings of thousands of former Saddam Hussein-era officials during the U.S-led occupation of Iraq has taken effect, Iraq's presidency council announced Sunday.

But it was uncertain whether the law would promote reconciliation between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, as the Bush administration hopes, or make matters worse.

Last week, the Sunni Arab member of the council, Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, said the legislation was in some ways more restrictive on former Baathists than bans imposed in 2003 by the Coalition Provisional Authority.

The law would allow most former Baathists to return to their jobs, but would prohibit those who had held the top four ranks of the Baath party's 10 membership levels from working in the government.

"I still have concerns about it," al-Hashemi said. "It doesn't serve the national reconciliation project."

The International Center for Transitional Justice analysis said the law is likely to force from their current positions about 7,000 people who used to work for Hussein-era security agencies and now work for the country's Interior Ministry, which oversees Iraq's police force.

Several high-ranking Iraqi officials - including the current head of the national police, Maj. Gen. Hussein Jasim al-Awadi, and the head of the Iraqi military in Baghdad, Lt. Gen. Abboud Qanbar - would probably be forced from their jobs.

Especially hard hit would be the country's judiciary, the analysis said. Many of Iraq's current judges also served during Hussein's time.

"This will complicate the political reception of the law," the analysis said, and may create short-term problems in filling key posts.