BAGHDAD, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Fighters loyal to al-Qaida in Iraq are settling for payments of about $150 to assassinate judicial officers, a defense minister spokesman said.
Iraqi security forces rounded up several suspects they say are part of an al-Qaida cell specializing in assassinating judges.
Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Askari, a spokesman for the Iraqi Defense Minister, told al-Arabiya that assassins are paid meager wages for their work.
"An amount of 50, 70, or 100 dollars is very meager in return for killing a man of law, yet al-Qaida hires needy people who accept this money to carry out their operations," he was quoted as saying.
The spokesman said al-Qaida usually pays about $100 for operations, including carrying out the attack, and about $50 for surveillance activity.
Al-Qaida in Iraq in 2010 started paying special attention to major political figures and party leaders during their operations. Judges were singled out because of the ripple effect in the legislative branch, al-Arabiya adds.
Most of al-Qaida operatives, the report adds, have moved from Baghdad and are centered in the once restive province of Anbar.
