Iraq offers olive branch to Baathists in talks

A small number of former Baath Party members are expected to attend the start of peace talks in Baghdad on Saturday, they said, as Iraq's embattled coalition government seeks to drag the country out of a vicious sectarian war.

The move will raise hackles among hardline Shia militants, whose majority community was persecuted by Saddam's Sunni-led regime, but is seen by many observers as a key first step in calming the violent insurgency.

Tens of thousands of Baathists and Saddam-era military officers were purged from public service in the aftermath of the March 2003 US-led invasion and many went on to swell the ranks of groups fighting the new Shia-led government.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has been cautious about revealing details of the peace talks, especially as some Shia politicians have threatened a boycott if senior Baathists "with blood on their hands" attend.

But there is a growing consensus that more junior party members not proven to have supported Saddam-era atrocities or the post-invasion rebellion should be allowed into the political process as a gesture of reconciliation.

Nasser al-Ani, a Sunni lawmaker and the official spokesman of the conference, confirmed that Baathists living abroad were among those invited.

"Probably some Baathists will attend," he said. "At the very least they will send representatives.

"The names of attendees will be announced during the conference. We invited personalities from abroad and some might come, but most gave excuses, citing security concerns," he told AFP.

On Thursday, Maliki's spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh confirmed that the talks would be open to all-comers, without specifically mentioning Baathists.

"Dialogue shall be held with all. We shall hold talks with anyone who wants to build Iraq," he said.