Mailiki: Iraq in talks with insurgents as 'part of the national reconciliation'

In 2003, following the invasion of Iraq, the first act of the Coalition Provisional Authority under L. Paul Bremer (pictured) had been 'de-Baathification', the elimination from government of members of Saddam's Baath political party, most of whom had joined for the increased pay and benefits which membership in the party offered. They had been the country's administrators, responsible for such things as water, electricity, trash collection, sewage disposal. With de-Baathification, the basics of everyday living began to crumble along with the previous government. The Iraqi army -- 300,000 strong -- had been disbanded as the second act of the CPA. Going home without work and without a future, members had only their tribal and religious loyalties to count on. Many attribute these two acts as the well-spring of the insurgency.

BAGHDAD: Iraq's government is holding talks with some insurgent groups, including members of Saddam Hussein's former regime, as part of a reconciliation plan to stop violence, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Tuesday.

Al-Maliki did not name the groups which his government is in contact with, but said that when an Iraq conference is held in Egypt early next month, "We will have good chances for reconciliation." Iraq's neighbors and other countries are scheduled to hold a meeting on May 3-4 in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheik.

"We are having meetings with groups that are not part of the political process... They asked us not to reveal their names," al-Maliki told reporters at his office in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone.

"The talks are still going and they are part of the national reconciliation," he said.

Read the rest at the International Herald Tribune

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