Government of Iraq makes first Sons of Iraq payment in Adhamiyah

Photo By Master Sgt. Jerry Saslav | Abdul Hadi Fathallah Mahidi, a Son's of Iraq member from the Adhamiyah district of Baghdad, receives his monthly salary from Iraqi authorities at Combat Outpost Apache in the Adhamiyah District of Baghdad, Nov. 13. This was the first time the government of Iraq paid the SoI since they took control of the organization from coalition forces. Previously the SoI had been paid by the coalition.  

COMBAT OUTPOST APACHE, IRAQ

11.14.2008

Story by Sgt. Jerry Saslav 

3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

By Sgt. Jerry Saslav
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Public Affairs Office

COMBAT OUTPOST APACHE – Abdul Hadi Fathallah Mahidi and a few hundred fellow Sons of Iraq (Abna al Iraq) members from the Adhamiyah district of Baghdad stood in line for hours at Combat Outpost Apache waiting to see if the next step in the transition from coalition forces control to government of Iraq control would take place Nov. 13 – it was payday.

Previously, the SoI members had been paid by Multi-National Division – Baghdad; as of Oct. 1 however, the government of Iraq assumed responsibility for the program.

"When the transformation from the coalition to the GoI took place, we thought we would never get paid after that," said Mahidi.

This sentiment was all too familiar to Brig. Gen. Robin Swan, the deputy commanding general for the 4th Infantry Division and Multi-National Division – Baghdad.

"Our press, others have been saying ... there was going to be problem after problem. First it was 'the government of Iraq is not going to pay us; we won't transition. They're going to detain us, they will not find us jobs,'" said Swan, a native of Ford City, Pa. "None of that has happened."

Before the war, Mahidi supported his wife and children from his earnings as an auto mechanic. His daughter is disabled, he said, and requires expensive medication. He lost his job and eventually volunteered for the neighborhood security group.

"There were no jobs because of the violence," said Mahidi. "This was a good opportunity to get rid of the bad guys, to make security for the area and to find a job."

Now Mahidi waited in line to be paid. The wait was longer than the payroll process.

The SoI members waited until they were called into a room, where they lined up to have their names checked against the rosters kept by the GoI. If everything checked out, they waited in another line, where their SoI identification cards and their national identification cards were checked again.

If everything matched, the men then placed their thumbs on an ink pad and left their fingerprint on a roster to indicate they had been paid. Once completed, they were handed their money, which they quickly counted. Then, it was off to the final line, manned by MND-B Soldiers, who double checked that their former employees had been successfully paid.

While Mahidi and the others waited to be paid, retired Iraqi Army Maj. Gen. Mudher Almaala, vice chairman of the Iraqi Formal Committee for National Reconciliation, stopped by to check on the process.

Seeing the lines, he called for all the men to gather around him. He reassured the men that the government would pay their salaries as long as they stayed in the SoI. Some men would be brought into the security forces if they passed a background check and had not committed any terrorist or criminal acts. If they didn't want to or were not able to stay in the SoI, the government would still help them.

"Those who have a degree will be given government jobs. Those who do not have much of a degree or any trade can go to a vocational school. The Iraqi government realized that the [SoI] did their part, a good job really, bringing security and stability on the ground in Baghdad," said Almaala. "For the effort they put in, some of them sacrificed their lives and some of them got wounded, the government realized they have a good role really, a positive role bringing security in Baghdad."

After waiting a few hours, it was finally Mahidi's turn. He sped through the process in less than 15 minutes. He counted his money; it was all there. He was happy the government kept its word.

"The government will not abandon these people. The government will provide employment opportunities for these people ... as a reward for their sacrifice and their duties," said Almaala.

• Date Taken: 11.14.2008
• Date Posted: 11.14.2008 05:31
• Story ID: 26332
• Location: COMBAT OUTPOST APACHE, IQ