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Politics : Moderate Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: epicure who wrote (4889)	12/8/2003 8:59:59 AM
From: E. T.	Respond to of 20773

Sunday's Post had a feature in which commanders from various levels of the U.S.'s four major divisions in Iraq were asked via email about the guerilla war and how they measure success. From the town of Sinjar, one midlevel (battalion) commander answered, in part: During July and August, we were able to out-spend the FRL [former regime loyalists] and foreigners in most of the theater. It was simply more economical to work with and for the Americans because we were disbursing more money into the local economy than Saddam had ever done, and the FRL could not keep up. Additionally, the benefit of the money was all local in the form of infrastructure rebuilt, schools and clinics back into operation or upgraded. The benefits from U.S. occupation during those two months were tangible to the average Iraqi. Why risk getting killed by shooting at Americans when you can work for them or with them and get paid more in the long run? . As the money getting directly into the hands of the commanders dried up in September, the FRL/foreigners were then able to fill that gap with their money and we have witnessed a sharp increase in attacks ever since. . . . Although more money has been approved for Iraq, we have seen none of it out here yet, and the result is increasing disenchantment or indifference with our presence on the part of the average Iraqi. If we are not able to improve their daily existence as we were back in July and August, then we have become an occupation force. The money that is available is kept in Baghdad; [and there is] a Byzantine process which commanders must navigate to get the funds. www.slate.com