Iraq brings Baathists into mainstream
Middle East Desk Report

BAGHDAD—Iraq’s presidency council on Sunday issued a controversial law that allows lower-ranking former Baath party members to reclaim government jobs, the final step for the first U.S.-backed benchmark approved by parliament.
The measure was thought to affect about 38,000 former members of Saddam Hussein’s ruling political apparatus, giving them a chance to go back to government jobs. It would also allow those who have reached retirement age to claim government pensions.
The law is the first of 18 pieces of benchmark legislation demanded by the Bush administration to promote reconciliation among Iraq’s Sunni and Shiite Arab communities and the large Kurdish minority.
Other draft legislation, including measures to divvy up the country’s vast oil wealth, amend the constitution and define rules for new provincial elections. The law was passed by the 275-member parliament on Jan. 12. The presidency council announced it had issued the legislation in a statement on Sunday