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This isn't really about restoring the Sunni power base, it's about restoring the COMPETENCY aspect to government (not all Ba'ath jobs were patronage jobs--and if you're shi'a, it's less likely that it was a PATRONAGE job, because Saddam didn't do them many favors--so it makes sense that they'd get hired back first in the current situation) they need people who KNOW what they are doing and they aren't getting that thus far with open hiring.
By doing this, they accomplish a couple of important things: they throw a few good paying jobs to Shi'as while also claiming to allow all parties to compete in their 'open' government. After all, what could be more "open" than allowing Saddam's old party back to the game?
Ba'athism has an interesting history in the region. It's a blend of Arab nationalism, socialism, and most importantly, SECULARISM. It actually means 'renaissance' -- in theory, it's not terribly threatening, but in practice, it always seems to end up on the authoritarian side of the tracks. The original idea to throw out the western bastards and take control of the nation's own destiny over time morphed into a "Let's get the military in on the game and use sheer force to keep these bastards in line."
It's big in Syria, and we see how they play it there. And, FWIW, Saddam didn't invent it. The philosophy predated his rise to power by a couple of decades. He did put a curious and rather brutal stamp on it in Iraq though.
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