RAMADI, Iraq—Sunni tribes in Iraq’s western province of Anbar seek to establish a tribal army, they say, similar to the Kurdish Peshmerga forces to defend their cities from Islamic groups.
“We want to establish a tribal army in Anbar similar to the Kurdish Peshmerga,” says Ahmad Jasim, a resident of Anbar. “We don’t want an army that comes from elsewhere and destroys our cities.”
Anbar has been the center of endless fighting between the Iraqi army and various Islamic groups, most recently the Islamic State (ISIS).
“We the people of Anbar will be able to liberate our region from ISIS,” says Jasim.
The people of Anbar remain suspicious of the Iraqi army for its anti-Sunni bias. Others say the army is unable to defeat the radical Islamist militants.
“We and the Iraqi army have been in the same position for one year and the army hasn’t been able to finish this war,” Hamid Jubair, another resident told Rudaw. “Therefore I think an army should be created from the people who know the terrain and can run their own security.”
Sabah Karhut, head of the Anbar provincial council said last week that the US-led coalition forces had agreed to form a 50,000 strong tribal army in Anbar.
Karhut said that the tribal army will cooperate with Iraqi government forces.
Jubair said that thousands of civilians have fled Anbar in the past two years due to the war.
“The Iraqi army hasn’t done anything and those refugees are not able to return to their homes,” he said.
Ahmad Nafi says that the Iraqi army bombs residential areas indiscriminately and destroys countless homes.
“The Iraqi army has been deliberately destroying our homes for one year with airstrikes and shells without any good outcome,” he said. “But we if form a tribal army we will join hands and restore security in our cities.”
With support from the US forces and Iraqi government in 2008, the Sunni tribes played a vital role in driving the al-Qaeda out of Anbar.
Alaa Ali, a member of a prominent Anbar tribe says that the people of the region can accomplish the successful experience of 2008 once again.
“We have nothing against anyone, but with the arrival of these terrorist groups we have lost everything,” he said. “We are all ready to volunteer for this fight if the Iraqi government agrees to forming a tribal army.”
