LABJ FORUM – Cash Crop

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LABJ FORUM – Cash Crop

The Iraqi informant who led U.S. forces to Uday and Qusay Hussein is in protective custody. Once he receives a $30 million reward $15 million was placed on the heads of both men he’ll be able to afford his own security team, and a lot more. It’s a princely sum, but the Business Journal asks:

Should the U.S. shell out $30 million to for the lead that bought it Saddam’s sons?

Robert Lloyd

Chairman, Center for International Studies and Languages

Pepperdine University

Money well spent. Would you give someone $2.37? How much is enough? Why not have a bounty on a guy’s head? It’s whatever the market price is. Supply and demand. You start at $5 million and wait to see what price people take notice of and are willing to take the risks for. The business side of me says set a price and gradually increase it. The moral and legal issues are a different story.

Michael Radin

Director of Product Management

Clinicopia Products

If they met the requirement they should be paid. I would say that the question is a little late if you don’t think $30 million is the right number. It’s already been promised. I’m OK with it. I think if it helps get the guys we’re looking for it probably saves a lot of money in the long run.

Oded Barlev

Regional Vice President

American Commercial Security Services

This was absolutely the right thing to do. The United States is working diligently to try to help the Iraqi people make sure they don’t live in fear and to make sure these people don’t ever come back. The price of $15 million per person is, in the bigger scheme of things, a drop in the bucket compared to the impact it will have on the Iraqi people.

Jerry Quickley

Host and Producer

‘Beneath the Surface’

KPFK-FM

I imagine that the $30 million is not, in the grand scheme, anything but peanuts. We are in Iraq to the tune of tens of billions. I imagine they have to pay people a great deal to risk their lives to rat on people as dangerous and powerful as Saddam Hussein’s sons. But it’s hard to imagine that this will have much effect in the long run. Of course they should be brought to justice for war crimes against their own people, but so should a number of American government and military personal. Iraq isn’t the only country involved in state-sponsored terror.

David Wang

First Vice President, Business Banking Group

United Commercial Bank

I think it is great to give incentives to people to get rid of them like that, so people won’t have fears. It was the right thing to do.

Steve Jones

Vice President

Universal Protection Service

We needed to capture them, we needed to do something. We had to do something to make this war worthwhile. It is a lot of money but I don’t know if it is the right price.

Tim Carpenter

Executive Director

More Than Shelter for Seniors

It sounds incredibly exorbitant. One of the things we’re concerned with is the expanded Medicare coverage and drug benefits and promises made to the senior community by the current administration. Not only the $30 million, but the whole of the money spent on the war would be better spent on that.

William Kelly

City Manager

Arcadia

Rewards are very useful in certain cases to have people come forward with information. As to the amount of the award, $30 million seems like a lot of money for one or more individuals to receive. The reward makes sense, but the amount seems excessive.

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