The proposal by Iraq’s embattled Premier Nuri Al-Maliki to have senior military officers from Saddam’s disbanded army reintegrated into the country’s armed forces is clearly not without risk. The police and military are already widely infiltrated by militants, mostly Shiites. This problem could be compounded if former Baathist officers, many of whom joined the insurgency after being fired by the Americans, also now re-entered the ranks. But given the rising tide of blood and chaos, Maliki’s proposals are well worth considering.
Shiite radicals, not least those led by Moqtada Sadr have protested the return men whom they see as having Shiite blood on their hands. Nevertheless some Sadr supporters were among the 300 delegates yesterday attending a reconciliation conference in Baghdad where Maliki launched his proposal. So too did a few representatives of insurgent groups formed by former Baathist soldiers. The presence of these people perhaps makes this latest effort at talking peace more significant than its predecessors.
Maliki’s idea is that those experienced former officers who wish to serve their country again, should accept new commissions in the armed forces. Those who do not will be given pensions. The government clearly hopes that either way, those individuals currently involved directly or indirectly in the insurgency will be lured back to the side of law and order.
It is not of course going to be that simple. Some former Baathist officers of junior rank are now serving again in the army. But for those more senior men who were excluded, coming back to an army that has been reformed and remodeled under US tutelage will represent a professional challenge. In addition, as in every other army, an officer’s authority does not rest on his shoulder insignia but comes from the respect and loyalty that he earns from the men under his command. Given the suspicion with which they will be greeted, those of Saddam’s old officers who decided to come back would also face a considerable personal challenge. In time of peace the difficulties facing these men would be bad enough. In time of conflict they will be considerable.
Nevertheless it is right that Maliki is seeking to undo one of Washington’s most deadly postinvasion miscalculations. The US had in fact originally intended to use Saddam’s old police, military and civil service formations to rebuild the country but the policy was reversed under Paul Bremer. At a stroke a large cadre of experienced military was cast loose to launch the insurgency and more crucially, to give cover to the arrival of the bigots of, Al-Qaeda. From that moment until now, it is hard to conceive how these Baathist officers could have been brought back into the fold. But now as all Iraqis see their country spinning out of control into ever-greater violence, the opportunity may just have come.
Iraq’s feisty national football team this week reminded everyone what it was like to think of themselves first and foremost as Iraqis. Will enough Baathist insurgents now seize the chance to make a difference?
