Having seen the transition from afar in Romania, a few upcoming gotchas that the Iraqis can look forward to:
1. The closest ATMs to the police stations will very likely quickly run out of cash for the first few pay cycles as their electronic deposit gets withdrawn as cash immediately. Eventually, that dies down.
2. Deposit insurance likely being nonexistent, financial misconduct can lead to real bank runs. Having a run on a bank that houses a large number of police accounts can be detrimental to security.
A small suggestion might be in order, hold a transition lottery. Pick a transition period taking into account the maximum number of disasters that can be safely accommodated and randomly assign each precinct to a transition pay period. This way early adopter disasters are limited in scope and the coping mechanisms are not overwhelmed. This makes for a longer, more drawn out transition period but would reduce the trauma for the front line officers who can least afford the extra burdens.
