Times Of India.....(source)
Iraq's embattled prime minister offered an olive branch to former supporters of Saddam Hussein on Saturday, calling for them to join the country's new leaders in a national peace process.
At the opening of peace talks, PM Nuri al-Maliki urged former soldiers from the ousted dictator's defeated army to join Iraq's new security forces in fighting the armed factions which are tearing the country apart.
He also urged delegates — including for the first time representatives of some of Iraq's illegal armed groups — to review the law which banned tens of thousands of Saddam's Baath Party activists from working in the civil service. "The Iraqi army opens its doors to officers and soldiers from the former army who wish to serve the country," Maliki told hundreds of delegates who braved the chaos on Baghdad's streets to attend the peace conference.
"The national unity government will pay pensions for those who are not reintegrated," added the premier, who has presented the broad-based talks as a fresh opportunity to end Iraq's vicious sectarian bloodletting.
Before the conference began, delegates said that, for the first time, the talks would include former members of Saddam's Baath party and representatives of some of the armed groups fighting the US forces.
Iraq's embattled prime minister offered an olive branch to former supporters of Saddam Hussein on Saturday, calling for them to join the country's new leaders in a national peace process.
At the opening of peace talks, PM Nuri al-Maliki urged former soldiers from the ousted dictator's defeated army to join Iraq's new security forces in fighting the armed factions which are tearing the country apart.
He also urged delegates — including for the first time representatives of some of Iraq's illegal armed groups — to review the law which banned tens of thousands of Saddam's Baath Party activists from working in the civil service. "The Iraqi army opens its doors to officers and soldiers from the former army who wish to serve the country," Maliki told hundreds of delegates who braved the chaos on Baghdad's streets to attend the peace conference.
"The national unity government will pay pensions for those who are not reintegrated," added the premier, who has presented the broad-based talks as a fresh opportunity to end Iraq's vicious sectarian bloodletting.
Before the conference began, delegates said that, for the first time, the talks would include former members of Saddam's Baath party and representatives of some of the armed groups fighting the US forces.