The success of the surge
Find a Conversation
| Tue, 09-09-2008 - 6:32pm |
I've heard almost nothing when the surge is discussed about the money angle. I don't know if McCain makes many references to the success of the surge but I don't recall him mentioning the money transactions (he only speaks in terms of troop numbers really and the great job they are doing - which they are).
I remember when the surge was being proposed I had argued that it was long overdue but that the surge in troop levels were probably insufficient. Later, I found out about the additional money on top of that, that the American government is paying out to certain groups in Iraq in order to gain their cooperation and to prevent them from attacking American trrops (my argument might have been different had I known this).
I wonder how much of an effect these payouts (some might call them bribes) have had in terms of decreasing the violence and if payouts are still being made. If so, is there a reason to worry should this flow of American money suddenly dry up?
US bribe insurgents to fight Al-Qaeda
AMERICAN forces are paying Sunni insurgents hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to switch sides and help them to defeat Al-Qaeda in Iraq.
The tactic has boosted the efforts of American forces to restore some order to war-torn provinces around Baghdad in the run-up to a report by General David Petraeus, the US commander, to Congress tomorrow.
Petraeus will tell Congress that there has been great progress at a local level in Iraq following a surge in the number of troops this year, but little sign of political reconciliation.
In a letter to US troops, the general wrote that “local Iraqi leaders are coming forward, opposing extremists and establishing provisional units of neighbourhood security volunteersâ€.
From accusations that the weapons of mass destruction dossier had been sexed-up to withdrawal of British troops from Basra
The Sunday Times has witnessed at first hand the enormous sums of cash changing hands. One sheikh in a town south of Baghdad was given $38,000 (£19,000) and promised a further $189,000 over three months to drive Al-Qaeda fighters from a nearby camp.
Petraeus is to ask Congress tomorrow for more time to build political reconciliation. He is under pressure to bring home a brigade of about 4,000 troops, but has told President Bush that it will not be possible before January at the earliest.
Administration officials say Petraeus hopes to report to Congress again in March, buying six more months for the surge to work before troop rotations make it impossible to keep 160,000 US forces in Iraq without overstretch.
Bush is to lay out his vision for the future of Iraq in an address to the nation this week.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article2413200.ece
Edited 9/9/2008 6:33 pm ET by suemox

Pages
Meanwhile, Muqtada Al-Sadr recently urged his followers to take a blood oath, for crying out loud - literally, open your veins and sign in blood - "against the U.S. occupation." And THIS is "victory?" This is "progress?"
Ashes where the bodies burning
No more war pigs have the power
Hand of God has sturck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees, the war pigs crawling Begging
Bob Woodward insists he is aware of some secret and very effective programme, and refuses to reveal what it is... so there is something else going on out there.
He also insists the surge is largely coincidental in terms of results,
Full length fiction: worlds undone
"You have no power over my body..." ~ Anne Hutchinson
I read somewhere not too long ago that one of the Iraqi government's top priorities is to end these payments, unfortunately I didn't save a link to the article. One would think that with a $79 billion dollar oil surplus the Iraqis could start paying this money themselves, if it is to continue.
And the success of the surge continues to point up the inescapable fact-that the Bush administration went to war with a war plan
dablacksox
Cynic: a blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be.---Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary.
You may remember, I said, oh, probably two years ago, at least, that the one thing that Republicans are good at is bribery, so why not just bribe people to fight for us.
Some dumb hillbilly in the wilds of the Midwest figured this out, but the Bush administration stayed clueless.
Jeez Louise.
What is going on is hit squads. Small teams of Americans, operating on information gleaned from bribing Iraqis are assassinating people identified as terrorists. That's all.
Sopal
<?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" />
I wouldn't doubt it one bit. We apparently
Full length fiction: worlds undone
"You have no power over my body..." ~ Anne Hutchinson
There may be "truth" to the issue of special ops/special programs...really secret special ops...that were going on in Iraq.
Sopal
<?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" />
If they are in fact using bumpoffology, as soon as we are out the country will be completely chaotic. Which means if McCain wins, we are there for at least one, and maybe two more terms. Conversely, if Obama pulls out, the right will blame him for the mess that exists after we leave.
Full length fiction: worlds undone
"You have no power over my body..." ~ Anne Hutchinson
Sopal
<?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" />
Pages