Can Iraq curb tribal disputes?
Tribal conflicts in Iraq are complicating the struggle against the Islamic State, threatening to thin the central government's security capacities.
BABIL, Iraq — Tribal struggles are weakening Iraq's efforts to battle the Islamic State, which has occupied large parts of the country since June 2014.
It seems Iraqis, who often complained that former President Saddam Hussein’s regime involved them in absurd wars, are now fighting each other while still engaged in complex and costly battles against IS. The disputes are widespread and deadly. Some examples from 2015 alone include:
![Iraqi newlywed Naheb Saidi, 25, sits holding a Koran Holy book and a bouquet of flowers during her wedding party in Baghdad July 1, 2004. [As the world watched Saddam Hussein's first court appearance, the couple took their vows to lead a new life together.] - RTXMPMI](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2015/06/RTXMPMI.jpg/RTXMPMI.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=xTpMIsO6)
