Sons Of Iraq Made Iraq Safer. What's Their Mission Now?

BAGHDAD, Iraq (April 24, 2008) - Lt. Col. Mario Diaz, a native of Sierra Madre, Calif., talks to an Iraqi army soldier and a Sons of Iraq (Abna al Iraq) volunteer at a joint checkpoint in Nassir Wa Salam, west of Baghdad, April 24.

From The Christian Science Monitor:

The US military is trying to transition 103,000 Iraqi neighborhood guards into steady work.

Baghdad - In a month of patrolling Baghdad, US Army Capt. Ryan Williams has seen the best and the worst of the Sons of Iraq (SOI) – the community policing group instrumental in restoring calm here.

When a child went missing, SOI members identified and helped detain his kidnappers. But another SOI group also reportedly took over a gas station "for security reasons" and sold the fuel on the black market.

Other problems include infighting among SOI units, with the homegrown Iraqi lawmen giving US forces bogus tips about their rivals' supposed criminal activity. "We learned pretty quick that they were just trying to get us to fight their battles," says Captain Williams, a Newport Beach, Calif., native.

These issues indicate that the shelf life of SOI groups is finite. US and Iraqi officials are now figuring out what to do next with the 103,000 SOI members in Iraq. Many officials worry that if the SOI units are dissolved without transitioning members into steady employment, Baghdad's security will pay the price.

Read more ....

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My Comment: The money that has been spent on these "security guards" has produced an excellent return (from first impressions). The next stage should be one in which a multiple of programs are offered to these men .... from being a member of the police force or military,
learning a trade, maintaining their present job .... anything to keep them off the streets.

Instapundit's idea of a G.I. Bill is also a good idea.