Number: RS22626
Title: Iraq: Tribal Structure, Social, and Political Activities
Authors: Hussein D. Hassan, Knowledge Services Group 
Abstract: For centuries the social and political organization of many Iraqi Arabs has centered on the tribe. Socially, tribes were divided into related sub-tribes, which further divided into clans, and then into extended families. Seventy-five percent of Iraq's estimated 26 million people are a member of a tribe. They are more strongly bound by these tribal ties and a strict honor code than by ethnic background or religion. This report describes the political orientation of several Iraqi Arab tribes, including the Shammar, Dulaym, and Jibur tribes.
Pages: 6
Date: April 7, 2008