US To Pay Insurgents

[CHUQ]

Can anyone say mercenaries? Will this bite us in the butt?

BAGHDAD — The U.S. military is exploring creative ways to offer financial aid and other support to tribes that have turned against al-Qaeda or want to protect their neighborhoods.

The U.S. military's ultimate goal is to encourage the tribes, many of which are composed of former Sunni insurgents, to join Iraq's army and police forces. Tribes throughout Iraq have shown an increasing willingness in recent months to stand up to insurgents but may be looking for assistance in return for broader cooperation.


http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2007-06-24-tribes-iraq_N.htm

[CHUQ]

I realize that may not be the most read thread but thinki about it. Is this not what we did in Afghanistan in the 80's? Did we not help make al-Qaeda the strong organization it is today? So ask yourself about this pack of crap.

Thyere are those who warn against arming the Sunni tribes, will anyone listen?


WASHINGTON — American officials were surprised Monday when an explosion in the lobby of Baghdad's Mansour Hotel killed six Sunni Muslim sheiks whom the U.S. considered top allies.

The hotel's tower is visible to most officials who work in the heavily fortified Green Zone, and U.S. officials had talked regularly with the sheiks and given them money. But the officials had no idea that the sheiks were planning to talk with their Shiite Muslim counterparts in the hotel's lobby, though clearly someone else did.

One U.S. military officer based in the Green Zone characterized the American reaction as "Huh?"


http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/17526.html

[Pete]

I realize that may not be the most read thread but thinki about it. Is this not what we did in Afghanistan in the 80's? Did we not help make al-Qaeda the strong organization it is today? So ask yourself about this pack of crap.

Thyere are those who warn against arming the Sunni tribes, will anyone listen?


WASHINGTON — American officials were surprised Monday when an explosion in the lobby of Baghdad's Mansour Hotel killed six Sunni Muslim sheiks whom the U.S. considered top allies.

The hotel's tower is visible to most officials who work in the heavily fortified Green Zone, and U.S. officials had talked regularly with the sheiks and given them money. But the officials had no idea that the sheiks were planning to talk with their Shiite Muslim counterparts in the hotel's lobby, though clearly someone else did.

One U.S. military officer based in the Green Zone characterized the American reaction as "Huh?"


http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/17526.html

Chuq.
Bro it's all bullshit from this adminastration ,, i submit there is no such group as al quaida ,, it's a name introduced to give validity for invasion and war. I would bet that Bin ladin was killed back in the Gulf War and his name has continued as a tool to spread the necessary fear for demonizing groups unfriendly to the US to persue their agenda.
GW stood before the cameras with speach of "you have to take these people at their word " you cant ignore their threats,,, well someone must descypher for me when you call other nations the "axis of evil" and then invade and destroy that one of them, how is that different to the "threats" coming from them.
There is no question in my mind that the PNAC is the driving force behind all this al quaida crap and people should wake up to it.

[CHUQ]

Was that a conspiracy theory? I agree with some of what you say. Likie the bombs in England, commited by amatuers looking for a name for themselves. I agree that the War On Terror is a bumpersticker, by that I mean it is a slogan that is easily grasped by the uninformed. So yes there is more to the WOT than we are told.