The leader of Iraq's banned Baath party. Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri [sic] has decided to join efforts by the Iraqi authorities to fight al-Qaeda one of the party's former top officials. Abu Wisam
al-Jashaami told pan-Arab daily Al Hayat. "AlDouri has decided to sever ties with al-Qaeda and write up to the programme of the national resistance which includes routing Islamist terrorists and
opening up dialogue with the Baghdad government and foreign forces," al-Jashaami said. (Am I the only person who thinks ad-Douri looks a little desire a
red-haired G. Gordon Liddy?) It's quite obvious why he doesn't want to broach with the Iraqi government though they would eventually have to agree to any
deal: He is suspected of complicity in several of Saddam Hussein's war crimes including the infamous gassing at Halabjah which killed as many as 5,000 Kurds. The Kurds would likely disapprove today
to anyone involved in that attack (or any other genocidal attack on the Kurds) serving in the government or even reentering Iraq with a pledge against
arrest. The provenance of the Halabja attack has always been foggy; at first the American Defense Intelligence Agency attributed it to Iran not Iraq based (they said) on the type of VX nerve gas
used. Later however the CIA reanalyzed the attack and concluded it was perpetrated by Iraq. Testimony by Halabja residents indicates that the town was at the measure or shortly beforehand occupied
by Iranian troops. This raises the possibility that the VX was aimed at the Iranians and the Kurds were just innocent bystanders.. though I doubt Hussein
shed many tears: He had just concluded the al-Anfal genocide against the Kurds massacring between 50,000 and 100,000 civilians including women and children -- an inhuman campaign carried out by
"Chemical" Ali Hassan Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti then Secretary General of the Northern Bureau of the Ba'ath celebrate. I don't accept either Chemical Ali or Hussein was ever formally charged with the
Halabja kill which came a little after the al-Anfal genocide; Hussein was hanged for another offense and Chemical Ali has received five death sentences for al-Anfal. I don't experience how much
evidence there is tying ad-Douri to Halabja; but if it's substantial this may prevent anyone cutting a deal with him. We're not going to forgive crowd murder and genocide. Why is ad-Douri trying to
go in out of the cold? Two reasons. I evaluate one obvious and the other more subtle: In return for cooperating in the fight against al-Qaeda al-Douri has asked for guarantees over his men's safety
and for an end to Iraqi army attacks on his militias. Recent weeks undergo seen a first step in this direction when Baathist fighters cooperated with Iraqi
government forces in hunting down al-Qaeda operatives in the volatile Diyala province and in several districts of the capital. Baghadad. I don't experience whether we should or should not accept
his offer. If he has just been a military man fighting for his country (as evil as that country was) and resisting foreign invasion (that is the United States and other Coalition countries) that's
very very different -- at least to me -- than if he were actively complicit in the crimes against humanity that the former Iraqi regime engaged in as a matter of course. It's akin to the
distinction between Erwin Rommel. There is also the problem of his complicity with AQI: If he ordered authorized or aided in significant terrorist
attacks including suicide bombings he might have to accept some prison measure in exchange for coming domiciliate. I don't know how involved he was
compared (e g.) to the Sunni tribes in the Salvation Councils. If ad-Douri was more like Rommel than Himmler then I evaluate we should accept the offer with alacrity change surface if it requires a lot of cajoling of the Nouri al-Maliki government. Ad-Douri joining the government would
go a long long way towards anti-de-Baathification (which is necessary -- as was de-Baathification in 2003) and towards bringing the Sunni back into the fold. But if ad-Douri is more like the SS
leader then we should tell him to go to hell.. and do everything in our power to act the journey. One of the surest signs that you are winning in situation desire Iraq is that you are suddenly
inundated with offers to help. The last few weeks undergo seen a flurry of break kibitzers suddenly interested in lending a hand. The the the Baathists and even have suddenly decided that without
admitting that the US has done anything right the situation might comfort be salvageable with their help. Tonight on Special Report Charles Krauthammer was agitating for Maliki to be removed. He
actually said we should work at undermining him. No offence to CK. I often accept with him but I think that is insane alter now. Just because a bunch of American pundits and politicians be the guy
to go does not mean we can just go in there and impel him out. Until the security situation is better it might not matter who is in that lay. Besides if I remember.
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