Supply and Demand in Iraq

U.S. military authorities in Iraq report that raids in the Tikrit area over the past several weeks have netted considerable numbers of Saddam supporters and have degraded their ability to mount raids on American forces. As a result, the bounty being paid for successful attacks has risen from $1,000 to $5,000.
This is significant, I think, because it shows that the die-hards aren’t just lying low, spacing out their attacks and battening down for the long haul. They are desperately trying to mount attacks now, and if few attacks are taking place, it means 1) that their operations are so disrupted that they can’t even coordinate a couple of guys with an RPG, or 2) that there simply aren’t many Iraqis willing to risk their lives to attack American troops.