Iraq: Mass Arrests of Baath Party Members

The Government of Iraq has arrested hundreds of former members of Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party and ex-military officers over an alleged coup plot with ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi. While several officials characterized the round-up which began this week as the foiling of the specific plot, others said it was a precautionary measure before the U.S. withdrawal at the end of this year. “Frankly, I am very scared and expect to be arrested at any moment,” Haji Abu Ahmed, a former Baathist in the southern city of Basra, adding that “the current practices are the same as the practices of Saddam.” He also said “There seems to be no difference between the two systems. Saddam was chasing Dawa [Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki's party], and now Dawa is chasing Baathists.”

The mass arrests prompted protests, with thousands of Iraqis blocking a highway in western Anbar province to protest against the arrests. Additionally, Salahuddin, the home region of Saddam Hussein, declared itself a semi-autonomous region, a move that local officials said will bring more revenue to the region.