Tribal Loyalty May Bridge Iraq's Sectarian Divide

Iraqi tribal chiefs from the Sunni-dominated Anbar province held talks last week with counterparts in Shia-dominated Qadissiya Province. Their goal — to find a peaceful, government-backed solution to the current sectarian violence in both provinces, according to the Azzaman newspaper.

Although divided by religion, Sunnis and Shia are often members of the same tribe.

Tribal leaders want to leverage this loyalty to stop the violence, oust al Qaeda forces, and support a push for “national reconciliation.”

Source:

“Sunni, Shiite tribes unite to fight Qaeda”
Azzaman (Iraq), November 7, 2007

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