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| Afghanistan |
| The Tribulations Of Tribal Politics |
| 2009-11-01 |
 In this year's American defense budget, over a billion dollars is allocated, in effect, to bribe Afghan tribal leaders. This is not something new. U.S. commanders have been buying the loyalty (or at least neutrality) of dozens of Afghan warlords and tribal leaders since 2001.Rest at link |
| Posted by:ed |
| #5 Ya know.. the Iranians have always counterfeited our money.. perhaps we could bribe with some nice Iranian and Chinese script right off the presses... maybe a lead Riyal or 2? |
| Posted by: 3dc 2009-11-01 22:36 |
| #4 I think the DoD community organizers will approach it a little differently than the inner city types we have at home, magpie. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-11-01 21:35 |
| #3 Community Organizers with rifles -- the new COIN strategy? |
| Posted by: magpie 2009-11-01 17:41 |
| #2 Indeed. Investment in the community worked pretty well in Iraq, eg Sons of Iraq vs. Al Qaeda in the Sunni Triangle, the ever-declining popularity of future-Ayatolla Muqtada al Sadr... President Obama hasn't been talking about the wrong war, the war of choice in Iraq, the distraction from Afghanistan for months. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2009-11-01 14:16 |
| #1 A sound value and investment at ten times the cost! It might more appropriately be referred to as sponsorship or community assistance vs.... "bribes." Meeting tribal or community needs by providing shoes, blankets, medical assistance, dental care, radios, fuel, horse saddles, grain, weapons, and TAC Air support as needed..... are also effective techniques. Read Doug Stanton's new book entitled "Horse Soldiers." |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-11-01 12:38 |