Iraqis said joining insurgency for money

MOSUL, Iraq, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- U.S. military officials say an increasing number of insurgents in Iraq are motivated more by cash than ideology, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.

Insurgent cells pay as much as $1,300 a month to each new recruit and raise their funds through kidnapping and gangster-style racketeering, said Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch.

"I tell a lot of my soldiers: A good way to prepare for operations in Iraq is to watch the sixth season of 'The Sopranos,' " Lynch said, referring to the TV series about the mob. "You're seeing a lot of mafioso kind of activity."

Some detainees held at military bases in Iraq told the Post they worked as insurgents to support their families.

In return, U.S. troops have begun a campaign portraying the insurgents as greedy thugs and are handing out several hundred dollars at a time to reduce the soaring employment among young Iraqi men who otherwise would be drawn to join militant cells, the Post reported.