Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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January 12, 2008

Iraq's Parliament Passes Key Legislation Sought by US
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1AE4F69:A6F02AD83191E160326217C8682045E0F47489ACC27D21EE& Legislation to
allow former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party to be reinstated
to government jobs Iraq's parliament approved legislation to allow
former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party to be reinstated to
government jobs - a key benchmark sought by the United States for
measuring progress towards national reconciliation.

The measure approved Saturday had been stalled in parliament. It will
relax restrictions on the right of former Baathists to fill government
posts. Those restrictions were put in place after the U.S.-led
invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Iraqi Shi'ites persecuted under Saddam Hussein's rule had opposed the
law.

Thousands of Baath officials were dismissed from government jobs after
Saddam was ousted from power in 2003. Their dismissal deepened
sectarian tensions between Iraq's majority Shi'ites and once-dominant
Sunnis.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.


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