Warrants out for former Iraqi ministers (corruption, re-Baathification)

[Barrett808]

Iraqi authorities have issued arrest warrants against two former Cabinet ministers as the country's new government cracks down on widespread corruption, a lawmaker and the prime minister's office said Saturday.

Former Transport Minister Louei Hatim Sultan al-Aris and ex-Labor Minister Leila Abdul-Latif have been accused of separate corruption charges, said Jawad al-Maliki, a senior member of new Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari's Dawa Party.

Al-Aris is accused of administrative corruption, while Abdul-Latif is wanted for "financial corruption and bringing back to the government members of the former regime," al-Maliki said.

Cracking down on corruption, which was rampant under Saddam Hussein's regime and continues to this day, ranks alongside improving security as a priority of al-Jaafari's government, al-Maliki said.

"There will be no reconstruction unless these two matters are solved. The success of this government is based on these two matters," he said.

(more)

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=50441

[damntexdem]

1. Have to crack down on all of that old corruption ...

while enjoying all of the new corruption.

And be sure to throw the baby out with the Baath water!

[dchill]

2. Hey -

Are they going after that pesky Paul Bremer, too?