Iraqi govt to pay most citizen patrols by mid-2008

[Barrett808]

Source: Reuters

BAGHDAD, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Iraq will put most of the mainly Sunni Arab neighbourhood patrols currently employed by U.S. forces on the Shi'ite-led government's payroll by mid-2008, a senior security spokesman said on Wednesday.

The announcement means tens of thousands of armed Sunni Arabs, some believed to have fought as insurgents until this year, will soon be working for the government in Baghdad.

The Iraqi government had announced earlier this week its plans to take over the contracts of 12,000 of the patrol members, issuing them uniforms and paying them.

Baghdad security spokesman Brigadier-General Qassim Moussawi told a news conference the government would expand that number to 45,000 by mid-2008, accounting for most of the programme.

He confirmed to Reuters that all 45,000 would be drawn from people now on the payroll of U.S. forces.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L05573605.htm

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Shouldn't that headline read, "US taxpayers to pay most citizen patrols by mid-2008"?

[Javaman]

1. Or even better...

"US taxpayers to pay most citizen targets by mid-2008"

[TwilightGardener]

2. Bribes. That's what we're reduced to, to make them get along. The "surge"

was one of greenbacks--the military isn't what's causing the drop in violence, our tax dollars going to would-be thugs is the cause. Sickening. Time to leave now!

[Teaser]

3. This won't happen

At least not as advertised. They are very, very slow at integrating Sunnis and have been vetting them very carefully. They will throw out most of the applicants as former terrorists.

[Barrett808]

4. I don't know -- the "surge" policy has been pretty accomodating to "former terrorists"

They're okay, as long as they're "our" terrorists. But they won't stay ours for long...

[Teaser]

6. Ah..but

here's the deal. We can be accomodating to former terrorists in Iraq. The shiites can't afford to be accomodating.
Letting large numbers of Sunni's operate in coherent security forces is an existential threat to a Shiite government.

But we're putting pressure on them to absorb the militias. So what do they do, they do it really, really slowly and are very picky about who they absorb into the security apparatus.

[Lance_Boyle]

5. like mommy putting the dollar in kid's hand at the register

Now won't the Shi'ite-led government feel like such big boys! :eyes: