Baath Party allowed in Iraq

[Dude_Doc]

Read:

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/04/22/iraq.baathist/index.html

Now, wouldn't this be like allowing the Nazi Party directly after WW2 in Germany?

[Wolf]

If you feel that way, then it was necessary to take them out of power in the first place.

[Dude_Doc]

If you feel that way, then it was necessary to take them out of power in the first place.

Um... I don't quite follow your point. What was the point of taking them out then?

[Andrew]

I doubt that parties from loosing conflicts are all banned indefinitly.

[Wolf]

If you feel that the Baathists were Nazis, then you wanted to take them out in the first place.

I feel that's an okay assertion to make.

[Kiyouta]

If you feel that the Baathists were Nazis, then you wanted to take them out in the first place.

I feel that's an okay assertion to make.

But the Baath party aren't Nazis...

All they need to do is clean up their act a bit. Maybe take a few baaths. (Yeah, I'll shut up now). ::)

[Anathema]

Reminds me of the communist party after the collapse of the Soviet Union. They were banned by the provisional government but by court order the ban was lifted.

From what I understand though, they just want to allow former Baathists to be able to get high positions again, wich makes perfect sense. In Saddams Iraq people had to become party members to make a career or simply to survive, so former members could include perfectly decent and trustworthy people.

[Digital Guerrilla]

It also makes strange sense because they know have more creditblity in governing the country than finding new governmental officials in the sense that American policy makers want to exit Iraq in the governorship role.

[danielsh]

I don't like the way the Governing Council has been treating potential dissenters; between banning the Baath Party and shutting down that anti-American newspaper, things don't seem all that free. But this is a step in the right direction.

[Digital Guerrilla]

The potentiality of dissention is not going away anytime soon based apon the fact that Iraq needs more leaders to rise among the people and not the gun-toting, terror-fueled menaces that already exist in the under belly of Iraq.

Iraq needs Iraqi understanding, Americans will never be able to provide such look at how the Sunni population has expressed their concerns about the governing of Iraq. This "forced" Iraq Revolution  never had an after plan so now you have a what do we do now as new problems arise unfore seen.

[Dude_Doc]

If you feel that the Baathists were Nazis, then you wanted to take them out in the first place.

Uh, okay. My answer is: I'm comparing the Baath Party to the NSDAP (National Socialist Deutche Arbeit Partei) because both have commited crimes under their "flag".

[Anathema]

After WW II the Americans didn't discharge all nazi members from their protectorate either because they would be left with very little capable personel, and on top of that many of those would be communists. Only those who actually committed crimes were kept away from government positions.

[nemafakei]

Well, anyone guilty of criminal activity should be charged, anyone not guilty should be allowed to stand... after all, that's what representative democracy's all about, isn't it? Any idiot with enough cash to buy propaganda can get themselves elected...

[Digital Guerrilla]

I would have to say that the only people that should be allowed to return are the Sunni Baathist managers responsible for Iraq's water, electricity, sewer system and all the other critical parts of that country's infrastructure.

[Edric O]

Maybe it's just me, but it seems that banning political parties in the name of democracy is a little bit hypocritical...

I mean, people shouldn't be denied the freedom of speech and the freedom of assembly just because they are/were Baathists. Being a Baathist is not a crime. Killing or torturing people ARE crimes and should be punished accordingly - but there are many Baathists who never commited any such acts, and they should be treated like any other innocent people.