Another sign that Iraqi politics isn't going to stay nasty for the foreseeable future: a "reconciliation" law that is so confusingly written that it gives anyone implementing it broad discretion over which Ba'athists to get jobs, and which don't. Some formert Ba'athists are likely to lose the jobs they hold; others may or may not be hired. Given the collapse of Iraqi's economy, getting a job, any job, can be a matter of life or death.
Among other bad effects of this law, it can only add to the already swollen ranks of emigres and refugees.
The Baathists that are willing to play ball with US interests stay in power. Those that won't will be gone. In our effort to control and stabilize Iraq, few could help like members of the former Baathist regime who maintained incredibly high levels of control. We still need an Iraqi induced success story - to prove that it is possible to make progress without the U.S. imposing it. The former Baathists that remain can and will facilitate that. We just can't look like we're OK with it.
Posted by: raszputini | 01/27/2008 at 20:29