Writing in a US newspaper, Iraqi Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi on Monday stressed that former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party who have not committed crimes will be able to live normal lives if they respect the current law. "We are reaching out to all Iraqis in a spirit of national unity and reconciliation, and will continue to draw a clear distinction between criminals of the former regime and those who are innocent of such crimes but found it necessary to join the Baath Party to earn a living," Allawi wrote in an article published in The Wall Street Journal. "All those who respect the rule of law will be respected by us and given the opportunity to live as productive citizens," he continued. "Those who choose crime and terror will be defeated." The assurances came amid growing concern that Sunni Iraqis, who made up the core of former leader Saddam Hussein's Baath Party, will boycott the January 30 elections for the National Assembly and thus rob any new government of its legitimacy. Media reports suggested US officials were quietly talking with Iraqis about setting aside a number of top government jobs for Sunnis, whatever the results of the election.