U.S. widens push to use armed Iraqi residents

[Rose Siding]

Source: Washington Post

BAGHDAD - The U.S. military in Iraq is expanding its efforts to recruit and fund armed Sunni residents as local protection forces in order to improve security and promote reconciliation at the neighborhood level, according to senior U.S. commanders.

Within the past month, the U.S. military command in charge of day-to-day operations in Iraq ordered subordinate units to step up creation of the local forces, authorizing commanders to pay the fighters with U.S. emergency funds, reward payments and other monies.

The initiative, which extends to all Iraqis, represents at least a temporary departure from the established U.S. policy of building formally trained security forces under the control of the Iraqi government. It also provokes fears within the Shiite-led government that the new Sunni groups will use their arms against it, commanders said.

.......

The U.S. military will use its funds to "jump-start" the local forces in stages, U.S. officers said. Initially, the military will pay local residents who call in successful tips that turn up roadside bombs or weapons, or lead to the capture of insurgents. Next, it will identify residents for the security forces, vet their names and take their fingerprints, and require them to take an oath of loyalty to the government. Finally, it will train them in weapons usage and American "rules of engagement" and "put them on a key location" to provide security, Gibbs said.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20006005/page/2/

[Enrique]

1. great plan

nothing could possibly go wrong.

[Kagemusha]

2. If not for the fact the govt views these people as domestic enemies

it would be a great and long overdue plan.

As it is, the govt just sees the US Army financing those who wish to destroy Shiite political power in Iraq.

[Botany]

3. Genius .... freaking genius

The same Sunnis who have been shooting @ and planting I.E.D.s to kill
Americans?

I bet the majority Shi and their militias are thrilled too.



picking sides in a civil war .....

[Rose Siding]

9. Bet this is why Maliki is reported to be pissed with Gen Petraus

This program can't be going over well with the majority.

Guns guns and more guns. Always more guns.

[saigon68]

14. "Freedom is on the March" shouted the AWOL CHIMPANZEE

[jimshoes]

4. They have nothing to lose if

the place is FUBAR anyway. Other than the occasional IED that kills more US troops. The whole strategy is now to give pyromaniacs cans of gas and matches and bic lighters in case the matches get wet.

[bluerum]

5. damn. this is pretty much what the nazis did - in thier own country.

[BootinUp]

6. Certainly a risky proposition

on the other hand, if I was a Sunni with a family, I probably would appreciate the opportunity to defend my own. Once we opened pandora's box this kind of situation was inevitable.

[Doctor_J]

7. Umm, since almost all of them want us out, isn't this a little dangerous?

I'm not a military genius like Smirk, but giving guns to people who hate our soldiers seems a little wacky.

[tecelote]

8. Oh, come on...

...how else do you propose we keep this war going?

[TheCowsCameHome]

10. Is there anyone over there that ISN'T armed?

I swear they must be born with weapons growing out of their bodies.......

[krispos42]

11. A well-armed militia...

Ho, boy, I wonder how this will turn out.

On one hand, this will work best if the neighborhoods are homoreligious, i.e., mostly-Sunni or mostly-Shia. Each side will unify their neighborhoods andcompartmentalize itself against those that are 'unknowns'.

However, with the ongoing religious strife there, it may also lead to widespread neighborhood militias skirmishing with each other. Raids, sniper attacks, ambushes, etc.

And it leads to the further partitioning of Iraq, anyway. Something that the powers-that-be insist on not allowing to happen despite a massive in-country migration of people moving to be with others of their faith.




On the plus side, I can envision a system where US soldiers and Iraqi police patrol to prevent inter-neighborhood fighting, while the local militias prevent intra-neighborhood violence. If the guys on the street corners are locals in pickups with hand-me-down AK-47s instead of GIs in Humvees with M-16s, the insurgents might be less inclined to shoot at them.




Partitian and pull out!

[daleo]

12. It sounds like the nucleus of a "neighborhood warlords" program

And paying people to provide tips for roadside bombs might just provide a lucrative sideline for some locals - plant a bomb, phone in a tip, then collect your money. A classic case of unintended consequences.

[provis99]

13. great. local criminal gangs will love having legal weapons

"But officer! I had to shoot the grocery clerk and take his money! He was a Shi'ite!"

[HuffleClaw]

15. wow, what a bad idea

arming the insurgency?

[David__77]

16. It's a great way to arm the guerrillas.

What a terrible idea. Well, anything that speeds the end of this thing...