Iraqi Tribes in the Land of Jihad
Since the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, the tribe has resurfaced as an important element in the literature focusing on security issues and the involvement of local actors in conflicts. It has addressed the tribe itself, its place in society, its allegiance to state authorities and even to foreign powers, and its role in providing security or provoking insecurity. Yet the behavior of tribes in lands of jihad had so far remained under-explored. This chapter discusses this phenomenon in Iraq, a country struggling with political implosion, an undermined state, the rise of radical jihad, sectarian war as well as regional and international interference. The analysis puts particular emphasis on certain tribes that have collaborated with ISIS in the provinces of Al-Anbar or Nineveh.