Not only does this call into question the whole U.S. enterprise in Iraq, but it will no doubt be conducted with no effort whatsoever made to determine whether or not these officers hold to the ideology of the “insurgency.” After all, why should such an inquiry be made, when the Iraqi Constitution stipulates that no law can be passed in Iraq that contradicts Sharia? The goal of the “insurgency” is within their grasp, if they can stop killing each other. From Reuters, with thanks to Mackie:
BAGHDAD, Dec 16 (Reuters) – Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Saturday Iraqi army officers of all ranks sacked after the U.S. invasion in 2003 would be allowed to reapply for their posts in the new army.
The Shi’ite premier issued the invitation, a gesture towards disgruntled minority Sunnis, at a national reconciliation conference in Baghdad aimed at easing sectarian violence that U.N. officials estimate causes more than 100 deaths a day.
Shortly after the U.S. invasion to topple Saddam Hussein, U.S. administrator Paul Bremer quickly dissolved the Iraqi army, a decision experts consider a miscalculation. Many of its members then joined the ranks of the Sunni insurgency.
The Defence Ministry has recruited former officers of Saddam’s army in the past but limited the invitation to junior ranks. Maliki’s invitation was the first extended to all ranks.
“The new Iraqi army is opening the door to former Iraqi army officers. Those who do not come back will be given pensions,” he told a conference of Kurdish, Sunni Arab, Shi’ite and secular politicians….
Saddam had used the military to reinforce his hold on power, but some experts argue that former members of the disbanded army, suddenly jobless, went on to help form the insurgency.