The Iraqi government is giving a cash bonus to Iraqi soldiers who follow orders and deploy to Baghdad next month.

Iraq soldiers to get Baghdad bonus

Jan. 15, 2007 at 10:57AM

The Iraqi government is giving a cash bonus to Iraqi soldiers who follow orders and deploy to Baghdad next month.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace told the Senate Armed Services Committee Friday the government is offering $150 per month for soldiers who are deployed to Baghdad. They will get $150 up front, and then when they are redeployed back to their normal area of operations, they will get the balance of the money.

"It's not about money, but their government is in fact trying to provide some assistance to the families in a way that would help those soldiers leave their families and go do the job their government wants them to do," Pace said.

The Iraqi government has committed to having nine brigades to Baghdad, each of which will have a discreet district for which they are responsible. Those brigades will be teamed with an American battalion.

There are currently 42,000 Iraqi security forces and 24,000 U.S. troops in Baghdad. The Iraqi government has promised to send three additional brigades by mid-February to Baghdad, an additional of 8,000 troops.

The United States is planning on sending an additional 7,000 -- the amount U.S. Army General George Casey, the commander of U.S. troops in Iraq, requested, Pace said.

However, another 10,500 U.S. troops will be available to surge into Iraq if they are needed, and when the Iraqi government makes good on its commitment to provide its own additional troops.

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