Comments on: Jealous Lovers’ Shakedown http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2008/07/29/anbarshakedown/ Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:59:36 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Kilo http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2008/07/29/anbarshakedown/#comment-1166 Kilo Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:23:08 +0000 http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2008/07/29/anbarshakedown/#comment-1166 <p>“Enemies with Benefits” is pretty good.<br /> You’ve gotta keep in mind, these ain’t bribes, they’re wages. Either dissolving all the security forces was a great idea or you would have been paying a lot of these wages from day 1. Fact is you didn’t so someone else picked up the paycheck and the going rate for planting an IED was a employment opportunity for a couple of years there.</p> <p>It ain’t a great solution, but then again it isn’t one. It’s the foot in the door to a fundamental COIN objective.</p> “Enemies with Benefits” is pretty good.
You’ve gotta keep in mind, these ain’t bribes, they’re wages. Either dissolving all the security forces was a great idea or you would have been paying a lot of these wages from day 1. Fact is you didn’t so someone else picked up the paycheck and the going rate for planting an IED was a employment opportunity for a couple of years there.

It ain’t a great solution, but then again it isn’t one. It’s the foot in the door to a fundamental COIN objective.

]]> By: SkinnyMinnie http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2008/07/29/anbarshakedown/#comment-1104 SkinnyMinnie Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:44:47 +0000 http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2008/07/29/anbarshakedown/#comment-1104 <p>I knew this scene was familiar! Apparently the Iraqis watch reruns of Monty Python just like the rest of us. It’s the <a href="http://www.ibras.dk/montypython/episode08.htm#1" rel="nofollow">Army Protection Racket</a> sketch.</p> <p>…</p> <p> <em>Knock at the door, sergeant enters, and salutes.</em><br /> Sergeant: Two civilian gentlemen to see you … sir!<br /> Colonel: Show them in please, sergeant.<br /> Sergeant: Mr Dino Vercotti and Mr Luigi Vercotti.<br /><em>The Vercotti brothers enter. They wear Mafia suits and dark glasses.</em><br /> Dino: Good morning, colonel.<br /> Colonel: Good morning gentlemen. Now what can I do for you.<br /> Luigi: (looking round office casually)You’ve … you’ve got a nice army base here, colonel.<br /> Colonel: Yes.<br /> Luigi: We wouldn’t want anything to happen to it.</p> <p>…</p> <p>Colonel: Look, what is all this about?<br /> Dino: My brother and I have got a little proposition for you colonel.<br /> Luigi: Could save you a lot of bother.<br /> Dino: I mean you’re doing all right here aren’t you, colonel.<br /> Luigi: Well suppose some of your tanks was to get broken and troops started getting lost, er, fights started breaking out during general inspection, like.<br /> Dino: It wouldn’t be good for business would it, colonel?<br /> Colonel: Are you threatening me?<br /> Dino: Oh, no, no, no.<br /> Luigi: Whatever made you think that, colonel?<br /> Dino: The colonel doesn’t think we’re nice people, Luigi.<br /> Luigi: We’re your buddies, colonel.<br /> Dino: We want to look after you.<br /> Colonel: Look after me?<br /> Luigi: We can guarantee you that not a single armoured division will get done over for fifteen bob a week.</p> <p>…</p> I knew this scene was familiar! Apparently the Iraqis watch reruns of Monty Python just like the rest of us. It’s the Army Protection Racket sketch.

…

Knock at the door, sergeant enters, and salutes.
Sergeant: Two civilian gentlemen to see you … sir!
Colonel: Show them in please, sergeant.
Sergeant: Mr Dino Vercotti and Mr Luigi Vercotti.
The Vercotti brothers enter. They wear Mafia suits and dark glasses.
Dino: Good morning, colonel.
Colonel: Good morning gentlemen. Now what can I do for you.
Luigi: (looking round office casually)You’ve … you’ve got a nice army base here, colonel.
Colonel: Yes.
Luigi: We wouldn’t want anything to happen to it.

…

Colonel: Look, what is all this about?
Dino: My brother and I have got a little proposition for you colonel.
Luigi: Could save you a lot of bother.
Dino: I mean you’re doing all right here aren’t you, colonel.
Luigi: Well suppose some of your tanks was to get broken and troops started getting lost, er, fights started breaking out during general inspection, like.
Dino: It wouldn’t be good for business would it, colonel?
Colonel: Are you threatening me?
Dino: Oh, no, no, no.
Luigi: Whatever made you think that, colonel?
Dino: The colonel doesn’t think we’re nice people, Luigi.
Luigi: We’re your buddies, colonel.
Dino: We want to look after you.
Colonel: Look after me?
Luigi: We can guarantee you that not a single armoured division will get done over for fifteen bob a week.

…

]]> By: KevinHayden http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2008/07/29/anbarshakedown/#comment-1060 KevinHayden Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:23:01 +0000 http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2008/07/29/anbarshakedown/#comment-1060 <p>I’ve long felt that was the initial approach to the invasion of Iraq that created the collapse of central power so quickly, with billions funnelled to Iraq military brass…. some of which has since been spent to fund the resistance killing US troops.</p> <p>Such payoffs could be viewed as cost-effective alternatives to combat, if it weren’t for that damned blowback. The GOP has become expert at managing brushfires that destroy the whole forest, while lauding their capabilities to save one tree.</p> I’ve long felt that was the initial approach to the invasion of Iraq that created the collapse of central power so quickly, with billions funnelled to Iraq military brass…. some of which has since been spent to fund the resistance killing US troops.

Such payoffs could be viewed as cost-effective alternatives to combat, if it weren’t for that damned blowback. The GOP has become expert at managing brushfires that destroy the whole forest, while lauding their capabilities to save one tree.

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