Iraqi officers weigh rejoining Army

[ECH1969]

BAGHDAD – With military bearing and the signature thick mustaches of Iraqi officers, Sunni men are considering the government's fresh offer to rejoin the ranks.

Across town, a former Sunni general sees the offer not as a sellout, but a way out. "It's a very good start to improve the security situation," says Abu Nawar, who asked to go by his nickname. "This chaos and mayhem in Iraq started because of decision to dissolve the Army."

Still, the general, who is active in the politics of former officers, says the response has been "enthusiastic," and that "hundreds" of officers have come to him, asking him where to sign up. "The idea, when those guys rejoin, is not to serve the Americans, but to serve their country," says the general, who says he will return if the invitation is extended to the highest ranks. "And they will fulfill the desire of Iraqis to make a strong Army, so the Americans can leave.

Like some 400,000 of their comrades, these three officers - interviewed separately across Baghdad - were dismissed 2 1/2 years ago when the US viceroy of occupied Iraq, Paul Bremer, dissolved the Army. Deemed one of the biggest mistakes in the postwar era, that move is credited with helping turn a nascent resistance into a bloody insurgency by feeding it with legions of jobless and angry men who had explosives and military expertise.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1109/p07s02-woiq.html