April 28, 2008

Iraq is determined to reintroduce the draft which the U.S. had it scrapped shortly after its 2003 invasion, a senior member of parliament said.

Hadi al-Ameri, chairman of parliament’s defense and security committee, said reinstating the draft was necessary given the country’s current conditions.

The former Iraqi army, which the U.S. disbanded, relied mainly on conscripts.

Draft dodgers were harshly punished and in the years before the fall of former leader Saddam Hussein many had part of their ears chopped off or their foreheads branded.

Conscription is illegal under the new constitution which calls for the formation of a fully volunteer army.

Ameri declined comment on constitutional hurdles but made it clear that the former draft will be reintroduced "with minor modifications".

He said all males reaching the age of 18 will have to join the new army.

Ameri also promised 'decent wages’ to make military service tempting for young Iraqis.

Analysts say the fact that the government’s determination to reinstate the draft is an indication that the army is not finding enough volunteers.

As U.S. troops are trying to reduce combat operations to lower casualties amid looming U.S. presidential elections, the Iraqi army finds it almost impossible to work in a professional and independent manner, they said.

In recent battles in Basra a few hundred militiamen dealt a heavy blow to the 'elite’ Iraqi military units sent there to contain violence.

The government cannot find enough troops to embark on new military operations to bring major cities under a semblance of control such us the northern city of Mosul which is now completely in rebel hands.