Lack of rewards worries Iraqis

[unhappycamper]

An Iraqi officer greets a homeowner during a search Tuesday in Baghdad’s Suleik neighborhood. Despite their familiarity with the local culture, some Iraqi leaders worry that it will be hard to cultivate sources without American reward money.


Lack of rewards worries Iraqis
By James Warden, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Friday, January 9, 2009

BAGHDAD — Some Iraqi army leaders are worried that reward money for information on enemy fighters and hidden weapons will dry up when American units leave their areas.

The worries highlight persistent problems in the Iraqi security forces that continue even as local forces prepare to take over security responsibilities from the Americans, as required by the security agreement that took effect Jan. 1.

"When the coalition forces pull out, we’re going to lose all our sources," said Capt. Mohammad Fadal, a company commander in Baghdad’s Sadr City district, a sentiment echoed by other Iraqi commanders.

The prevailing stereotypes about military intelligence in the war is that U.S. forces rely on high-tech gadgetry called signals intelligence, or "sigint," while the Iraqis have better developed groups of human sources, or "humint."

And while the technology at hand is formidable, American units have been able to cultivate extensive source networks through an old favorite: cold, hard cash. Reward money has played a large role in building those networks, said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Nicholas Altreche, the targeting officer for 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=59882

[Nickster]

1. Because no one lies or turns in their enemies for cold, hard cash....never.....