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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009
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Iraq Ends Ban on Saddam-Era Baath Officials

Will allow thousands of civil servants to reapply for jobs, pensions

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(Newser) – The Iraqi parliament today cleared the way for former members of Saddam's Baath party to rejoin the government and military, the BBC reports. The move is seen as a way to smooth tensions between Shiites, who control the new government, and Sunnis, who ruled under Saddam and dominated the Baath party. Those with outstanding criminal charges will not be allowed to return.

The law, which received heavy US support, seeks to fill holes in government agencies left in the wake of the Saddam-era roundup. It allows for a three-month period during which the ex-members can be prosecuted for any abuses while in power; afterward, they will have immunity. Pensions will be provided for ex-Baathists who are not reinstated.

A young Palestinian stands next to a portrait of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during a rally in support of him and marking the first anniversary of his execution in the West Bank village of Halhul near Hebron, Monday, Dec. 31, 2007. Hussein was hanged Dec. 30, 2006 after being...
A young Palestinian stands next to a portrait of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during a rally in support of him and marking the first anniversary of his execution in the West Bank village of...   (Associated Press)
Followers of the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr march during a rally at Baghdad's Amil neighborhood, Iraq, Monday, Nov. 26, 2007. The Iraqi parliament on Sunday began debate on the latest draft bill to relax the ban to allow thousands of former low-ranking members of Saddam's Baath party to regain...
Followers of the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr march during a rally at Baghdad's Amil neighborhood, Iraq, Monday, Nov. 26, 2007. The Iraqi parliament on Sunday began debate on the latest draft...   (Associated Press)
Jordanian Baathists pass by a huge poster of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein at a demonstration in Amman, Jordan, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007. About 2,000 Jordanians demonstrated in the capital Saturday to commemorate Saddam on the one-year anniversary of his execution. (AP Photo/Nader Daoud)
Jordanian Baathists pass by a huge poster of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein at a demonstration in Amman, Jordan, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007. About 2,000 Jordanians demonstrated in the capital Saturday...   (Associated Press)
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