The issue is not in regards to ex-Bathists joining Dawlah after they repented.. although one may ask, how are we to know they have made Tawbah from their previous beliefs? But the issue is more to the stranger matter of how nearly the majority of the leaders of Dawlah were ex-officials and men of Saddam Hussein's army.

It is one thing to have people upon Kufr and oppression, while repenting and embracing Islam with the true Tawhīd, and from this the Jamā'ah they join, manifest their actions with nothing but piety, moderation (in the religion), and being upon a pure Aqīdah between extremism and 'Irjā.. but it only raises more doubts, concerns, and continues to raise more when the Jamā'ah that is run by former Bathists... lack Islamic knowledge but preserve on slogans and distorted understandings of scholars, torture and kill other Muwahidīn and Mujahidīn, accuse others of Kufr and Riddah based on suspicion and thus declaring their blood and property Halāl, as they persist to embrace a thug mentality that either the Muslims are with them or against them (and by this, meaning allied with the camps of Kufr!) .. So where is the fear of Allāh in regards to dealing with the people? Where is the fear of Allāh in regards to the sanctity of Muslim blood? Where is the fear of Allah in arbitrating to His Sharī'ah? Where is the fear of Allāh in regards to declaring Kufr on others based on suspicion?

So we say, since when did the Sahābah come from the ranks of Kufr and Shirk and join the ranks of Tawhīd, to then only be upon a deviated path of killing other Muslims and splitting the ranks, attacking other Muwahidīn positions during their battles against disbelievers, accusing their brothers of apostasy without evidence, beheading those who proclaim Lā-Illāha Il-Allāh while boasting about it with no shame, killing those whom other Muslims gave Amānah [security], refusing Muslims to pray before they are killed (unjustly), sending "Istishādi's" to other bases of Muwahidīn and massacring all from among them.. all while not ceasing in their crimes day and night!? By Allāh the Sahābah were free from such deviation and oppression that we see the Tandhīm ad-Dawlah being upon today!

And even if we were to argue that these ex-Bathists truly repented, and even if they were to join a blessed camp, then one should only ponder upon this statement.

During the Riddah wars and the conquests, Abu Bakr as-Siddīq (RadhiyAllāhu anhu) did not seek the help of any former apostate, but Umar mobilized them after they repented and set their affairs straight, and acquired some Islamic education, but he did not appoint any of them to a position of authority. [Ad-Dawr as-Siyasi li'l-Safwah fee al-Islam, p.429]. According to one report, he said to Sa'ād Ibn Abi Waqqas concerning Tuhaylah Ibn Khuwaylid al-Asadi and Amr Ibn Ma'di Yakrib az-Zubaydi: "Seek their help, but do not appoint them over one hundred (men)." [at-Tarik al-Islami, 10/375]

So it could never be comprehended that people who were once upon clear Kufr could be in positions of authority! Compare this to some of the leaders of the Jihadi groups, Abu Muslim ash-Shishani (fought with Amīr Khattāb in Shishān, from Jundu-Shām), Abu Hafs al-Misri (Previously with AQ and then Ahrar Ash-Sham), Abu Khālid as-Suri (Previously with AQ and then Ahrar Ash-Shām), Abu Firāsah (Afghan Jihad War Veteran and with JN), Abu Hammām al-Suri (Afghan Jihad War veteran and with JN), and so on.. these are the people of experience, wisdom, knowledge and truthfulness. These are men who are learnt in the fields of Jihad, who see the Islamic project as one for the whole Ummah and not merely for their group, these are men who are known and will be of those who are trustworthy.

To defend the "Khilāfah" and refute those who say "Tandhīm ad-Dawlah is run by Bathists" with the comparison of the Sahābah who were once upon disbelief to then become warriors of the Dīn, is one by which their ignorance only comes to prevail. And Allāh knows best.