Iraq Asks Some of Saddam's Soldiers to Return to Work

[Khephra]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's interim government, preparing for an election next month while fighting a bloody insurgency, asked some of Saddam's Hussein's disbanded army to come back to work on Wednesday.

The Defense Ministry proclamation invited former soldiers in the old Transport Corps to serve in the new U.S.-backed army, 18 months after the U.S. occupation authority formally demobilized Saddam's 375,000-strong military.

"Those interested must apply at the Muthanna base in Baghdad," read the proclamation, referring to a main recruitment center, which has been coming under attack from insurgents regularly.

Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and other Iraqi leaders have criticized the decision to disband the army for weakening their ability to fend off the insurgency and for creating a large pool of unemployed and disgruntled soldiers who may have joined the guerrillas.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=7103108

[maddezmom]

1. thought they did this after bremmer admitted de-baathification didn't work

[bemildred]

2. More signs of logistics "issues":

Australia to send logistics trainers to Iraq

Canberra - Australia will send 50 army logistics specialists to Iraq to help train the new Iraqi defence force, Australian Defence Minister Robert Hill said on Monday.

Hill, who visited Baghdad on December 4, said the trainers would be part of a routine rotation of Australian forces in Iraq.

Australia has about 900 defence personnel in and around Iraq, with the navy patrolling the northern Persian Gulf and soldiers helping to train the Iraqi army and provide security for diplomats and advisers.

Hill said the deployment of the logistics team followed a request from interim Iraqi National Security Adviser Qassim Da'ud during talks in Baghdad.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=2024&art_id=qw1102911497247B226