Well, I can't tell you much about all of that. However, I can tell you how they are being disbanded in areas, and are going back to their Al-Qaeda roots in places like Saba Al Bour, Hor Al-Bosh, and Mushada. Additionally, those in Tarmiyah are getting whacked left and right.
I can't tell anything about the success of the Son's of Iraq, because the only success I've seen first hand this year is they are successfully getting killed by Al-Qaeda in groups of up to (5) or more. Particularly, if they are at checkpoints on the main highways. I've picked up more than my share of parts of blown up SOI members, and those flex-cuffed and shot in the head...sometimes throats cut too...than I care to count this year.
Here is an article for you regarding the extent of what is happening to members, former members, and family of Son's of Iraq.
Balad hospital workers cope with the pain of wounded children
Lessons learned are that you don't want to become the friend of your foe if you know your former foe won't be around in the end to protect you. Personally, I feel it worked for a bit, but it was like putting a bandaid on a sucking chest wound. In the end, it all ends the same. Unless we stay in Iraq, they are easy prey for insurgents that are moving in faster than we can pull out.
The article describes the child that made it through this incident that I was at. It is any wonder he survived, because his grandfather only had part of his upper torso left. His grandfather was a former Son's of Iraq member. Al-Qaeda are currently seeking out and killing active and even former members of the SOI. It is definitely not a successful program, because they do not have any support anymore, and are becoming an easy target.
Here is what the news article did not show when describing Hani Shaker Mahmod's sons story in Tarmiyah earlier this year...
Took these pictures while at the scene. Definitely reflects the many incidents that we went to where SOI were targeted this year. When the grandfather pulled up, and went inside the building in front of the vehicle, the child was in the car. Al-Qaeda went and through a bomb under the car knowing the child was in it, and when the granfather came back and got into the vehicle...well, the pictures below tell the story...
Bookmarks