BAGHDAD, 22 February 2004 — Powerful tribes, the nexus of Iraqi society and a vital power base milked by Saddam Hussein, are regrouping in a bid to launch themselves onto the political scene when the country recovers sovereignty.
In the 10 months since the fall of Saddam, dozens of tribal councils have crawled out of the woodwork in an effort to make themselves heard and mobilize clan members behind them.
“The princes, top sheikhs, have nationalistic views, but don’t want to get into politics. The middle sheikhs are trying to find a place and have started to set up councils,” said Alan King, head of the US-led coalition’s tribal liaison office, created in December.
“In Baghdad, there were 14 top councils, to November 2003,” he said, adding that “there is one in each province for the most part and it has local branches in the towns”.
Under Saddam, particularly in the 1990s when UN embargoes began to sap his Baathist power base, tribes were an important political force, albeit under rigorous control from the regime, to which they swore an oath of allegiance. Many of their members, particularly from the Sunni Dulaymi tribe, were appointed to key positions. Now they are engineering alliances catering for their own needs and those of their clan.
“Our country has come through a very difficult time. We are trying to close ranks to make our voice heard by the coalition and the Governing Council,” said Sami Al-Dulaymi, an official from the national tribes and clans union in Iraq.
“We want to help build politics and the economy in Iraq. We want to participate with the political parties and religious authorities to strengthen stability,” said its chairman, Hikmat Abdelamir Al-Saadi.
“During the transitional period, we want our rights to be respected, full security and general elections to be held,” said Sami, stressing that his group unites both Sunni and Shiite tribal chiefs. The coalition is scheduled to hand over power to a transitional Iraqi authority by June 30 until general elections are held, according to a November agreement with the Governing Council.
“The tribes must take advantage of their importance and aspire to a political role,” said the chairman of the council of tribal leaders and clans in Baghdad province, Abdelaal Mehdi Al-Qoreichi.
“Tribes want to be represented on the Governing Council since they are already taking a major role in maintaining security,” said the deputy leader of the independent Iraqi tribes union, Ali Nassif Al-Tamimi.
Armed tribal members already act as an auxiliary state security force.
Shiite leaders have set up a security and stability force in Iraq, said a statement from the group sent to US forces and the interior ministry.
According to its deputy leader, Aziz Hilal Jaber Al-Husseini, it has more than 2,000 members. Political parties eager to count on their support before general elections are also wooing tribes. The Iraqi Islamist Party, headed by the current president of the Governing Council, Mohsen Abdel Hamid, this week invited hundreds of tribal leaders to the “second tribal conference” held in a Baghdad mosque. Nevertheless, King said success would only come to those with the political bargaining skills.
“The middle sheikhs have a limited sphere of influence to certain members of their tribe. It’s gonna be who has the credentials, the ability to get people to accept their agenda,” he said.
Hakim Sees Al-QaedaRole in Brother’s Death
Abdel Aziz Al-Hakim, who has led Iraq’s top Shi’ite political group since his brother’s assassination last year, said in remarks published yesterday he believed Al-Qaeda played a role in his brother’s death.
Hakim said in an interview with the pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat that he had “reliable” intelligence that Osama Bin Laden’s network was involved in the carbomb attack that killed Ayatollah Mohammed Baqer Al-Hakim and more than 80 others in August.
“There is intelligence information, which for us is reliable, that they (Al-Qaeda) had a hand in this operation,” said Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI).
Hakim, who is a member of the US-backed Iraqi Governing Council, said he was not surprised when he learned of Al-Qaeda’s role because he said the intelligence indicated that “they want to cause sectarian strife”.
