Iraq Envoy Welcomes Baathists in Politics

[Barrett808]

Iraq Envoy Welcomes Baathists in Politics
By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON - The incoming Iraqi ambassador laid out a welcome mat to members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party Tuesday even though "they may not be perfect democrats."

"It's very hard for me to say that," Rend al-Rahim Francke, who will represent the newly sovereign Iraq in Washington, said at a news conference.

But, she said, "We need to bring more people in, engage them more. Some of these people may not be my choice as partners. Some of them may be distasteful."

...

Rahim said the first thing Iraq's interim government must do is to win over all Iraqis to "get all Iraqis on its side in the war on terrorism."


She included Baathists among them, she said, emphasizing that she meant "not just former Baathists but current Baathists."

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040629/ap_on_re_mi_ea/us_iraq&cid=540&ncid=1480

[daleo]

1. Welcome Back, Baathists

Welcome back,
Your dreams were your ticket out.

Welcome back,
To that same old place that you laughed about.

Well the names have all changed since you hung around,
But those dreams have remained and they're turned around.

Who'd have thought they'd lead ya (Who'd have thought they'd lead ya)
Here where we need ya (Here where we need ya)

Yeah we tease him a lot cause we've hot him on the spot, welcome back,
Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.

[mbperrin]

2. Okay, so when * says that Saddam was the problem, he

meant it - that he was the whole problem and everything was OK with Iraq, right?

NOW I understand! I've been so confused!

[Barrett808]

3. Yes, "leadership change" not "regime change" was the goal in the 90s

Looks like we're going back to that playbook.

[Sesel]

4. If one invades a country with a one-party political system

there will be no choice between CIA-stooge exiles and former Baath terrorists. There will be no substantial change in Iraq, and it will probably end up being controlled by warlords, à la Somalia.