Payday Worries for Sons of Iraq
This past Monday was yet another milestone in the process of transferring control of Iraq from the US military to Iraqi officials. As discussed in an earlier post, thousands of Sunni militia men known as the Sons of Iraq were supposed to be incorporated into the Iraqi government. Yesterday was the first official sign of this incorporation, as members of the Sons of Iraq stood in line on payday – the difference, however, was that instead of being paid by the US military (as has been done in the past), the men were paid by the Iraqi government.
In the past, members of the paramilitary force had worked alongside the US military and had received compensation from them. Now, as official members of the Iraqi police force or Iraqi military, they can potentially earn up to double their previous monthly salaries, plus additional reimbursements for excessively dangerous work.
Just because it was payday didn’t mean that everyone in line on Monday was happy about being there. Several men expressed feelings of impatience and uncertainty because, even though they were receiving payment from the Iraqi government, they hadn’t actually been placed in a permanent position in the Iraqi forces. They do not trust the Shiite-led Iraqi government to take as good of care of them as did the US government, and they are getting nervous because they see no tangible job options in the near future. Violence in Iraq is down largely due to the efforts of the Sons of Iraq, and if this transition back to an Iraqi government is to go smoothly, these men must be successfully incorporated into defense and security forces.
Haley Hackendale
