Is the U.S.-allied Sunni tribal alliance against al-Qaeda in Iraq fracturing?
One of the bright spots in Iraq has been the recent tribal shift in Anbar Province against al-Qaeda. Started after al-Qaeda declared an “Islamic State of Iraq” — alternative translations put it as the “Islamic Emirate of the Land of the Two Rivers,” implying that statehood is a religiously illegitimate concept — last fall, over 25 tribes decided that al-Qaeda’s severe vision for Anbar threatened their interests more than the U.S. occupation does. As a result, tribal leaders created the Anbar Salvation Council, a political alliance that worked with the U.S. against al-Qaeda; and ever since, the U.S. military has reported increasing numbers of killed or captured al-Qaeda affiliates. The tribes have also sent their young men to join the Iraqi army and police, but they also retain a military wing that the U.S. has equipped and worked with, leading some analysts — and military officers — to worry about the creation of yet another militia.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=180661