The US Army (Taxpayers) are paying insurgents big bucks to fight off CIA (Taxpayers) backed al-Qaeda – War games create strange bed fellows

Rob, Vancouver, Canada

Buy now pay later.
Is this yet another typical American way out.
If you can't win then bribe your passage out of the problem and pass the buck to the other side.

It will end the same as all who have tried it before.
Complete disaster.

Bribery leads to blackmail

dave g, maidstone , uk

So we American's who employ the Army are actually paying a foreign government for protection? What happened ot the Our tax dollars or not where is the "honor"? This is getting more and more ridiculous. What happened to taking care of our country? It's no secret I am voting for Ron Paul. So is everyone else in America. We will go broke behind another megalomaniac President in our country. Our highest office has been stained since 1937 when FDR used his Supreme Court nominees (a former Klansmen) to usurp the "Doctrine of Enumerated Powers" in our Constitution. The culmination is a leader of 300 million people who brags about his ignorance, was never elected, and is at his core just a meen spirited person bringing out the worst of our countrymen through fear. Before our current President I never heard the head of state use the word "Murder", "Terror", "Holocaust". And through his actions demonstrate he is above the law. We need it back! These guys are just completely clueles

Anonymous, ForFear, InTheUSA

War making is expensive. If they can remove AQ from any area for $100,000 in bribes, financially it is a bargain. Would I were that we could just pay 10,000 more of these bribes ($1 billion)to remove the bad guys, declare victory, and just go home.

Gus Higley, Tustin, CA

Although 'buying off' the opposition is nothing new I am afraid that this is maybe another ill thought out gimmick by the Bushites - far too late to save them even if not as idiotic as the backing they originally gave the Taliban to fight the communist opposition.

Nicholas Xenakis, Borough, London, England/UK

Iranian shiites vs Saudi sunnis, resulting in the perfect continued instability that we need to continue raping this country unbenounced to the world!

Mike, toronto, CDA

Given that the Arab Revolt was successful, and the Ottoman Empire shortly thereafter ceased to exist, I'd say it did work rather well, yes.

John, Blackburn, United Kingdom

The protection money being paid to Sunni Sheikhs and militias includes arms and ammunition. The fact that these will be turned on the Shiite dominated central govt in Baghdad doesn't seem to bother these geniuses one bit. Basically US policy seems completely unable to look beyond the end of its nose. The reason for this is that it is dictated by domestic political considerations. The Bush administration and its media/think tank allies desperately need something they can parade as evidence that they are "winning" the war in Iraq. If you examine US policy closely you will find it is riddled with contradictions aimed at producing an illusion of "success."

John, Hartford, CT

Ha! There is no money around and no work. How else are you going to live if? But perhaps it is more like "ransom" money or "protection" money? And what happens once the money stops?..Back to where we were I guess, except then with more accumulated money behind them. And who are these "local Iraqi leaders" anyway. The big money might turn anyone into the centre of popularity as their hangers on try to get onto the gravy train. Then again we might just have some more groups of militias further complicating the militia scene for later when an Iraqi government might expect them to disarm. What a mess -and all created with the US taxpayers' dollars.

Jan, Melbourne, Australia

Takes a thief to catch a thief, and if it works, which it seems to be, then why not. I wonder if a similar tactic would work with the Iran infiltrators bring in all the arms in support of the insurgency.

d case, newquay,

This article is so funny. Only $38000 as down payment! Iraqi sheiks are so desperate for cash to this extent.

Just like the good old days. Brits may remember the time they had to pay and arm the brigands of the Arabian Desert to revolt against the Ottomans. Didn't it work well then?

Who knows, may be it will work this time.

salem, Mashhad,

Yiikes! It's my tax money they are handing out..in the mean time US citizens go without decent health care, New Orleans is still a disaster,our bridges are falling, our Iraq and Afghan vets are refused disability benefits when they come back....and so on...

Clara Coen, Chicago, IL

Sounds like Afghanistan in the mid 80's all over again. Cash does not buy loyalty it buys mercenaries and this policy will back fire once the money stops.

stuart, london,

Did the Times ever stop to think if money did change hands with the Sheikh it could have been to buy medicine, ammunition, or pay his people so their familys don't starve during this. Why is it so quickly labled a bribe?

Murph, Madisonville, USA/KY

As for buying your allies, a little commonsense says that they will turn on you as soon as they get a better offer.

In the not too distant future, the violence in Iraq will begin to decline. The reason ? One side will become the dominant force. Thus there will be fewer and fewer targets to engage. Bush will then point to the decline in violence saying that his “surge” is working.

It has been said if the US withdraws there will be a bloodbath. To some degree this is correct. ( Currently 1,000 plus, dieing evey week ) However, in all the civil wars recorded in history, eventually one side comes up on top.

Nothing has been learned from Vietnam. Those old enough to remember the claims, If North Vietnam is victorious a “domino effect will result and all of South East Asia will fall into Communist hands. Well, you know the outcome. Currently American business concerns are tripping over their shoe laces to do business with the victorious North Vietnamese.

Tracker Bill, Sautee, USA GA