In recent months, the U.S. has paid Sunnis and some Shiites $148 million to help fight extremists, military officials said. These groups have taken on many monikers, including Awakening Councils, Concerned Local Citizens and Sons of Iraq.

Is this a good idea?

Will it work?

Is this a sign we are doing better or worse in Iraq?

Did the Al Qaeda population grow or decrease in Iraq once we began invasion?

I'd rather see our government pay for assistance from the locals than give it directly to the Iraqi government officials (my opinion). It may help some but how much; who knows? The signs are that we are doing better these days (my opinion) than we have done in the recent past (as far as suppressing the violence in certain areas). I don't have a clue about the population question though.

ASH123- as per your questions my answers are numbered as asked ::: #1- NO;; #2 NO;:: #3 WORES::: #4- GREW::: #5- MY thoughts are - But yet almost 3 years later our GOV> has yet to help down on the GULF COAST< Bush tries to make the people in the USA to believe he has , But that is a big laugh, just like this money to help stregthen the us ecom. Who is really getting the MOST MONEY?? AS useal he is helping the RICH< NOT THE PEOPLE THAT REALLY COULD USE IT> LOW INCOME & SENIORS GET THE LEAST , JUST like the PART "D" THE GOV > HAS STUCK ON THE SENIORS WITH< HAD BETTER Before HE GOT HIS HANDS ON THE SUBJECT> > AND if the INSURANCE CO"S> WOULD STOP PLAYING ( DOCTOR & NURSE AND GO BACK TO BEING A INS> CO> THINGS WOULD BE A WHOLE LOT BETTER ALSO:::: GOOD DAY & GOD BLESS :::: F.B.E.

Hello Ash:

If you have to pay people to like you, then the next guy will pay them more to dislike you.

Nahhh. Our money isn't going to buy us a victory.

excon

PS> Did Al Quaida grow in Iraq since we invaded?? They couldn't have. They weren't there in the first place.

It's all an interesting time... to put it mildly.

Results matter and the net effect is that the surge is working .

Top Stories: Baghdad neighborhood is a model of progress | ameriyah, neighborhood, place : Gazette.com (http://www.gazette.com/articles/ameriyah_33280___article.html/neighborhood_place.html)

The money is not the issue. The issue is trusting the Americans... and the population fed up with the foreign jihadists plague that tried to foment civil war .

Would this have been possible a year ago ?

Rival sects lock horns on Baghdad soccer pitch | Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL17200189)

Oh I hope that the Democrat nominee makes Iraq an issue !

I wonder what would happen if we gave them a Billion?

Perhaps today's allies can be tomorow's enemies if the bond stops at $$.
- Saddam
- Shah of Iran
- Bin Laden
- Noriega
-Putin?
-Sunnis?