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| Iraq |
| StrategyPage: Iraqi Tribes Turn on al Qaeda |
| 2006-09-22 |
| Coalition forces in Iraq have suddenly received the manpower equivalent of three light infantry divisions. They did not suffer any repercussions in domestic politics as a result, and now have a huge edge over al-Qaeda in al-Anbar province. How did this happen? Tribal leaders in the largely Sunni province on the Syrian border got together and signed an agreement to raise a tribal force of 30,000 fighters to take on foreign fighters and terrorists. These leaders have thrown in with the central government in Baghdad. This is a decisive blow to al Qaeda, which has been desperately trying to fight off an Iraqi government that is getting stronger by the week. Not only are the 30,000 fighters going to provide more manpower, but these tribal fighters know the province much better than American troops – or the foreign fighters fighting for al Qaeda. Also, this represents just over 80 percent of the tribes in al-Anbar province now backing the government. Rest at link. |
| Posted by:ed |
| #7 Eggggs-cellent. :-D |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2006-09-22 20:22 |
| #6 Heh. Los Pepes. Heh. Good call. |
| Posted by: Brett 2006-09-22 17:30 |
| #5 Los pepes |
| Posted by: Mark E. 2006-09-22 17:21 |
| #4 I know that when you are dealing with militias or tribal forces, things can get out of hand. But given our ROE, they could be very helpful in dealing with the bad guyz without being encumbered by our ROE, if ya know what I mean.....It would take a bit of finesse to make it happen without going out of control, but it seems doagble, IMUHO. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2006-09-22 16:48 |
| #3 The coalition and the Iraqi government should be all over that "like a duck on a June bug". The idea being to organize them as a uniformed paramilitary whose mission can be "migrated" to perform all sorts of useful and productive work in Anbar. They start out like a Sunni army, like the Kurdish Peshmurga, but you quickly move them into civilian, not military, development work. So it becomes a jobs program, repairing and integrating Anbar with the central government. From that they become civil service employees for their local government. Optimally, they end up with so much invested in their local area and Anbar that they are good citizens. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-09-22 16:07 |
| #2 I doubt they will do that. It would be the end of them. |
| Posted by: Elmolutch Ebbeatle6080 2006-09-22 15:55 |
| #1 They will of course insist on the right of legitimate resistance against coalition forces as said coalition forces assist the tribes in their fight against al Q. Right? |
| Posted by: Hupailing Ebbuns2352 2006-09-22 15:26 |