Tribal Mobilisation Forces in Iraq: Subtleties of Formation and Consequential Power Dynamics

This paper aims to investigate the Iraqi state’s utilization of tribalism to mobilize and deploy forces against its opponents. The paper argues that state elites exploit tribal divisions for short-term gain, ignoring their detrimental effects on national unity. The case study laid out in this paper, that of Salahedin Brigade, a tribal mobilization unit that was established in Shirqat by members of the al-Jabbour tribe in 2015, shows how tribalism is nurtured when central power is held by an uneasy few, who prefer to govern through the tactics of divide and conquer rather than confront the basic contradictions in their society.