Perry de Haviland makes a case for thorough, relentless, and harsh "de-Ba'athification" in post-war Iraq. Excerpt:
A 'De-Ba'athification' process is what must follow the destruction of Saddam Hussain's state. Mere membership of the Ba'athist Party must be taken as prima facie evidence that the person is unfit for any political role whatsoever and membership in the Fedayeen Saddam must carry with it a presumption of guilt for crimes. When an anti-Ba'athist Iraqi regime is in place, they must not only not be restrained from conducting their own systematic purging of Iraqi society, but must be required to do so.Similarly the allies must not get squeamish and should make no apologies for the use of violence to expunge Ba'athist toxins from the Iraqi state and society...
Ba'athist Socialism is institutionalised civil violence and unlike communism, it could have lasted indefinitely as it fed like a vampire on the rich blood of Iraq's oil wealth. It is not enough to destroy Saddam Hussain's armies, Ba'athist Socialism too will have to be killed just as National Socialism was, quite literally.