http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/Afghanistan/article6875923.ece So here it is. Italy has troops in a region of Afghanistan east of Kabul. Rather than, you know, be soldiers and protect against the bad guys, they pay the bad guys (Taliban) to leave them alone. The Italians rotate out and the French move in. Not wanting to be embarrassed by the payments, the ITalians don't tell the French that the area has been quiet because they've been paying off the Taliban. 10 French soldiers, thinking they are patrolling a quiet area, are killed. Presumably, by Taliban who were probably thinking "WTF, where's our money, they must know about the arrangement". Thanks Italy!!!
This is being discussed in the ongoing Afghanistan thread: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=715970&page=27
Well, if bribes could also accomplish this, you're in good practice! This scenario reminds me of a joke after a military academy cheating scandal. Four cadets were asked how to respond to an attack. They answered in turn: "Counter-Attack!" "Retreat!" "Dig in!" "Cheat!" Now, we can add, "Bribe!"
Iirc, the British empire used to pay a subsidy to Afghan tribes to keep quiet. The results weren't pretty in the end.
In a matter completely unrelated to paying bad guys to not shoot you -how's that "Anbar Awakening" going in Iraq?