Title: Al-Maliki Tribal Policy and the Emergence of the New Shaykhs in Iraq
Abstract: The state collapse in Iraq after the US invasion in 2003 resulted in a vacuum of state institution.This helped the emergence and increase of sectarian violence between Shia and Sunni, which led to civil war in 2006-2007.In order to end the violence and to alienate Al-Qaeda, the US authorities and Iraqi government began supporting tribal leaders during the civil war.In 2008, the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki created tribal council called (Majālis al-Asnād) to utilize the tribal groups mainly belong to Shia sect.This article tries to explain the emergence of new social strata called New Shaykhs in Iraqi society, as a result of Maliki's tribal policy.It is due to the failed state situation in Iraq since 2003 which helped non-state actors to be more and more active, such as new tribal leaders.This paper focus on the political manipulation of tribal societies which is different after 2003, compared to traditional policy in Iraq which have used and mobilized the tribal societies.