Government to accommodate former army and security personnel (Baathists to be allowed back)

Azzaman ^ | April 10 2007 | Ali Khaleel

[noname247]

The government has decided to accommodate members of the former army, security and other organizations the U.S. administrator Paul Bremer had disbanded shortly after the fall of Baghdad in 2003.

The move signals a change of heart by a government which until recently insisted on excluding army and security personnel who served the former regime.

Some members have already rejoined the newly established police, army and security organizations but the majority had been fired.

The U.S. decision to sack members of the former ministries of defense, information, and interior as well the various security and intelligence organizations is still seen as a major cause for much of the violence that has gripped Iraq since the invasion.

The armed groups currently resisting U.S. occupiers and the Iraqi government are led by former army and intelligence officers with the knowledge and tactics of waging successful guerrilla warfare.

Commissioned and non-commissioned officers now have the chance to join the army. Only those with the rank of Lt. Colonel and above will be retired with full pension.

Intelligence and security personnel will have similar opportunity.

The Saddam Fedayeen or commandos who are said to be fuelling the fight against the U.S. will also be accommodated.

Members have the right to join the new army or opt for early retirement with full benefits.

[noname247]

This was one of the ‘benchmarks’ the WH was talking about.

[Freeport]

In every successful campaign by the US, the very first order of business was to garrison the military and remove the bad apples; leaving the majority intact...

When I heard Bremer state he was disbanding the entire service, I could only think that it was some kind of joke! He should have been recalled immediately. This is about as big a bonehead move as one could make! MacArthur and Eisenhower must have been rolling in their graves!

[noname247]

Bremer and Wolfawitz were convinced by Chalabi that disbanding the Iraqi military was the way to do.

[noname247]

Bah, I meant to say way to go.

[SandRat]

Isn’t this a complaint that the Liberals have had all along; “That we should have “Included” the former Baath-O-Nazis in the new Iraq Army?”

[Marine_Uncle]

I don't think when it happened anyone of significance made a big deal over it. That is at least in public forums or by lets say MCcafferty or other generals on the alphebet's payrolls.
The Iraqi that where forming up (Shia in majority of course) to run the interim government (Allawi etc.), went along with the plan. After all they insisted their constitution include the clause to outlaw the Baath party in Iraq.
Surely more then just Chalabi had forced the issue. But regardless.
It happened. And I continue to ask us to remember that some of our military felt they really had to start from scratch.
We tried as we remember to incorporate some of the old army into training schools only to find they just where not going to work out. And who could be trusted even after close vetting.
It is easy for us to point the finger at Bremmer and company but they had to make some hard decisions as to what was the best routes to bringing a new government into play which could unite the country and move forward.
I do however, still question the wisdom of dumping general Garner so quickly to allow a non experienced DOS official to take the reign.
Perhaps under Garner the whole scenario would have evolved a lot different. Jay most probably would have worked closer with more Iraqi then the Bremmer teams during the early stages.
But this is all conjecture on my part. One can way into a lot of things that could have been done better. For one thing not enough SASO was being performed as word got out that a real insurgency was building up.
Many an American soldier just sat around in their FOB's. Static. Doing little in the way of intellegience and forming counter intellegience plans etc..
And general Petreous was in command at that point.
If we take our time capsule back to 2004 we must admit there was very little being done other then attempting a lot of rebuilding of schools, medical facilities, new water treatment plants, sewage system repairs and increased electrical grids, type of work.
Meanwhile the various elements of what now constitute the insurgency and radical religious zealot groups where forming up for future plans.
What I will admit, is, it sure appears we where caught with our pants down, during the period when it was hoped that the Iraqi would embrace a democratic form of government and write a constitution.
The Saddamist and others obviously had different plans.