
My Dad once told me that making a deal with the devil is like owning a Rolex clock radio -- sure, it sounds like a great idea... but its something that you can never really show off to your friends or family, and the few people who see the damn thing will never appreciate it.
So when I read about how the U.S. was giving money to insurgents in order to "protect" shipments, it raised an eyebrow.
The payments, in return for the insurgents' allowing supplies to move and construction work to begin, have taken place since the earliest projects in 2003, Iraqi contractors, politicians and interpreters involved with reconstruction efforts said
Okay. Sometimes you have to pay the devil his due. But unfortunately, we (the American taxpayers) are the ones who are going to be paying.
Providing that security is the source of the extortion, Iraqi contractors say. A U.S. company with a reconstruction contract hires an Iraqi sub-contractor to haul supplies along insurgent-ridden roads. The Iraqi contractor sets his price at up to four times the going rate because he'll be forced to give 50 percent or more to gun-toting insurgents who demand cash payments in exchange for the supply convoys' safe passage.
With events like this taking place, it seems a moot point to urge others to end terrorist financing. Between the payoff of insurgents, the loss of weapons in Iraq, and inevitable reduction of U.S. troops in Iraq I am lead to believe that someone is definitely fucked.
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Comments
FunkyPhantom
Chapel Hill, NC
June 2007
AUG 31, 2007 09:50 AM
mellon
USA
October 2004
AUG 31, 2007 10:20 AM
JekyllAndHyde
Austin, TX
April 2005
AUG 31, 2007 10:33 AM
BDeyeD
Toronto, ON
January 2007
AUG 31, 2007 10:39 AM
Gringo
Spokane, WA
May 2006
AUG 31, 2007 10:44 AM
Trahern
United Kingdom
March 2003
AUG 31, 2007 10:57 AM
FattyFatty2x4
Salt Lake City, UT
May 2006
AUG 31, 2007 11:26 AM
DucksAreCrazy
Lexington, KY
December 2006
AUG 31, 2007 11:31 AM
polverso
Kansas City, MO
December 2005
AUG 31, 2007 11:41 AM
Newlt
Manhattan, KS
February 2006
AUG 31, 2007 11:49 AM
scorp17yh
Brookings, OR
November 2004
AUG 31, 2007 12:01 PM
Gerry_D
Los Angeles, CA
May 2003
AUG 31, 2007 12:02 PM
FattyFatty2x4
Salt Lake City, UT
May 2006
AUG 31, 2007 12:18 PM
FattyFatty2x4
Salt Lake City, UT
May 2006
AUG 31, 2007 12:25 PM
_kungfoo_
Los Angeles, CA
April 2005
AUG 31, 2007 12:26 PM
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