Father of Money: Buying Peace in Baghdad

Description

In March 2004, Capt. Jason Whiteley was appointed the governance officer for Al Dora, one of Baghdad's most violent districts. His job was to establish and oversee a council structure for Iraqis that would allow them to begin governing themselves.The nature of persuading Iraqis to support the coalition quickly progressed from simply granting them privileges to ignore curfews to a more complex relationship defined by illicit dealing, preferential treatment, and a vicious cycle of assassination attempts. In these streets of Al Dora,Whiteley was feared and loved as the man they called Abu Floos-or "Father of Money." Father of Money is the story of Captain Whiteley's journey into a moral morass, where bribes and blood money, not principle, governed the dissemination of power and possibility of survival. The Iraqi people did not have the patience to withstand daily violence while they waited for the American ideals to crystallize. Captain Whiteley acted to fill this void by allying himself with the leaders who had the best chance of consolidating power, even if they were former insurgents. Eventually, because of these efforts,Captain Whiteley was himself targeted for assassination, signaling an end to his period of extensive influence. Although Captain Whiteley viewed this as a failure, he knew that he needed to reveal a part of Iraqi society that few Americans would ever witness. By delving into the Iraqi culture,Captain Whiteley had dispensed justice, divined futures, and bestowed fortunes in a way the Iraqi people understood and appreciated.This is the story of how change actually occurs in a society devoid of order.

A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Jason Whiteley spent six years in the Army, ultimately serving as a captain in the 1st Battalion, 8th United States Cavalry Regiment in Iraq from March 2004 to March 2005. He lives in London.

-After serving two year-long tours in Baghdad, including four months with Jason Whiteley in Al Dora in 2004, I can tell you that Father of Money is a riveting book that accurately describes what it was like trying to establish local governance after the invasion of Iraq. It was innovative junior officers like Captain Whiteley who first realized that 'money is a weapon system' that buys protection for U.S. troops, allegiance from local power brokers, and has the potential to douse the flames--albeit tragically only for a short period in this case--of ethnic violence and civil war. I strongly recommend this book to all junior and mid-level officers in preparation for future deployments where the army will likely be asked again to help establish local governance and jump-start the local economy.---Lt. Col. David T. Seigel, USA (Ret.), professor, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College--Lt. Col. David T. Seigel, USA (Ret.)