Will 'armloads' of US cash buy tribal loyalty?

[babylonsister]

Will 'armloads' of US cash buy tribal loyalty?
The US policy of paying Sunni Arab sheikhs for their allegiance could be risky.
By Sam Dagher | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor

from the November 8, 2007 edition

Page 1 of 3


TIKRIT, Iraq - Inside a stately guesthouse on the grounds of Saddam Hussein's palace in Tikrit on the banks of the Tigris, sheikh Sabah al-Hassani jokes that the initials "SH" of the former dictator etched on the walls are his.

"I have a weakness for Cuban cigars, French cologne, and Spanish-made loafers," he says with a wide grin.

Since June, Mr. Hassani, who claims to be one of the princes of the legendary Shammar tribe, which numbers nearly 7 million across the Arab world, says he has received at least $100,000 in cash and numerous perks from the US military and the Iraqi government.

With his help, at least $1 million has also been distributed to other tribal sheikhs who have joined his Salahaddin Province "support council," according to US officers. Together, they have assembled an armed force of about 3,000 tribesmen dubbed the "sahwa folks."

All of these enticements serve one goal: To rally Sunni tribes and their multitude of followers to support coalition forces.

The payments are a drop in the bucket given the billions spent annually in Iraq by the United States. And paying tribes to keep the peace is nothing new. It was one of Mr. Hussein's tools in his selective patronage system designed to weaken and control all institutions outside his Baath party. The British also tried it when they ruled Iraq last century.

But the strategy is fraught with risks, including the serious potential for wars among the tribes themselves and the creation of militias in die-hard Sunni Arab lands where many continue to question the legitimacy and authority of the Shiite-led central government in Baghdad.

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http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1108/p01s04-wome.html

[SpiralHawk]

1. "Cool. I have a weakness for good blow." - Commander AWOL Bush

[rodeodance]

2. IT may keep the lid on things until Bush leaves office---make it look like progress!

[AngryAmish]

3. buy, no. rent, maybe

edit for punct