Tribal Engagement in Anbar Province: The Critical Role of Special Operations Forces
Abstract
During a September 2007 visit to Anbar Province in western Iraq, President George W. Bush stated, "Anbar is a huge province. It was once written off as lost. It is now one of the safest places in Iraq"? The reason for this stunning turnabout was that Anbaris "who once fought side by side with al Qaeda against coalition troops [are] now fighting side by side with coalition troops against al Qaeda."1 The program that convinced the Anbaris to support the coalition and the Iraqi national government was called tribal engagement, one of the most successful U.S. programs implemented in Iraq. It has been so beneficial that it was extended to other provinces, and through the Concerned Local Citizens program, the same approach has spread to areas where tribal loyalties were weaker than in Anbar. This article highlights the initial role of U.S. special operations forces (SOF) in tribal engagement in Anbar Province and how both Army and Marine Corps forces adopted the engagement strategy and greatly expanded the security environment, altering the political landscape in Anbar and other Iraqi provinces. Conventional U.S. forces have been critical to the success of tribal engagement in Anbar. Indeed, from the start of the initiative, SOF worked in close coordination with the conventional forces that were the "battlespace owners." Various non-Department of Defense agencies made major contributions to tribal engagement at critical moments. The government of Iraq played a vital role, but most important, the heroes of tribal engagement have been the Iraqi people. In the face of horrifying reprisals, Sunni tribesmen have joined their erstwhile enemies, the U.S. and coalition military, and stood up to the al Qaeda terrorists.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA516791
Entities
People
- Thomas R. Searle
Organizations
- National Defense University