US to bring Saddam's military chiefs on board

In a major change of strategy, the US is planning to offer government jobs in Iraq to former senior officers of Saddam Hussein’s military and the ousted Baath Party.

American officials hope that bringing back members of the powerful Sunni minority will strengthen Sunni support for the coalition and reduce violence by weakening support for insurgents in the Sunni Triangle.

The policy of blacklisting leaders of Saddam’s Baath Party was designed to screen out criminals from playing roles in post-war Iraq, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.

But, he said, people who have clean records and who were party members only because their jobs required it are not targeted for punishment.

“We are working to try to develop an equitable solution,” he said.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan also said the change was under review.

“We are reviewing how the policies are being implemented and looking at how we can better balance the need for expertise and experience that some Iraqis have with the need for justice,” McClellan said.

He said the administration wanted to stabilise the government and at the same time punish former members of Saddam’s regime who are guilty of abuses.

“One, you want to be sure that people are being held accountable and brought to justice, but you also have to balance that, and look at, the need to have expertise within different sectors in Iraq,” the spokesman said.