Paying For Loyalty

This Wednesday president Obama signed a defense bill for $680 billion which will pay for military operations through 2010. Under this bill there is a program whose job it is to pay Taliban fighters to switch sides is receiving $1.3 billion to help start the process. The goal of the entire program is to pull the Afghani fighters away from their leaders, since a lot of the fighters are fight because they have no option for another job. Its believed that many of the soldiers fighting for the Taliban do so for a source of income and not because of political ideas or loyalty. 

This idea I find extremely interesting and intriguing. I believe that a program like this could have a possibility for success. I do think that many of the people currently fighting for the Taliban regime in Afghanistan do so out necessity instead of choice. For a lot of these people it is the only job available and they don't have another option do get money. If we can offer them a source of income and protection I can see the appeal for the fighters to change sides and leave the Taliban. But I do also feel strongly that we need to help offer other economic means for the Afghan people. If jobs and more steady means of income become an option the people of Afghanistan will happily accept. If it takes money to change peoples minds why not try it, it could end up helping the situation in an increasingly hostile Afghanistan.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/28/afghanistan.taliban.pay/index.html?eref=rss_topstories