There are at least two ways to recognize a member of Iraq's Republican Guards. The first is the triangular red and gold patch worn on his uniform's shoulders. The second is more subtle but just as telling: a Republican Guard tends to look healthier than a regular soldier. No wonder: the guards are paid about 300 dinars a month (roughly $900) -- double the wages of an ordinary conscript -- and are pampered with such perks as free housing and free cars.
With more than 100,000 men, the Guards make up about a fifth of the 555,000- man Iraqi army. But...
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