US Captain: "What's the price of peace? It's probably not as costly as the price of unrest"

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1705939,00.html?xid=rss-world

The U.S. Financial Crisis — in Iraq

The U.S. military in Iraq has been extolling the achievements of its cooperation with civilians in the fight against extremists and insurgents. That mechanism of that cooperation, however, is greased by cash — and the budgetary spigot for it has been tightening in recent months.

That does not sit well for officers like Captain Joel Brown, in charge of Eagle company for the 2-2 Styker Cavalry Regiment. For him, money spent bankrolling the Sunni al-Sahwa ("Awakening") movement is money well spent. Al-Sahwa patrols neighborhoods in his area and effectively works as a local muscle, beating back insurgents and keeping the peace where local law enforcement has long since abandoned. When Brown's company arrived in southern Baghdad in August they found 50 roadside bombs in one day; they would sometime engage in two or three firefights daily. Now he pays nine Sunni contractors to manage 10 checkpoints with about 300 guards, in the process protecting schools, clinics and key intersections 24 hours a day. Soon there will be a total of 1,000 guards.

When these so-called "Concerned Citizens' League" (CLC) programs began, attacks against his men started decreasing. For Brown, the calculus is clear: "Every time we looe one of our guys it costs us $400,000 (in life insurance paid to family members). Each Hellfire missile is $60,000 and we've used a ton of those. What's the price of peace? It's probably not as costly as the price of unrest. Money is my non-lethal ammunition. I'd rather give somebody a job than have to fight them."

That sentiment is echoed by captain David Dehart, a military intelligence officer working with Brown and other commanders in an area of southern Baghdad that used to be a no-go zone for U.S. troops. "A lot of these guys are $50 away from either putting in an IED (roadside bomb) or standing on a checkpoint with an AK" guarding the neighborhood for us, says Dehart.

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And without funds to encourage cooperation, the fragile peace of the last few months may come undone.