PSST, Don' Tell Anyone

Dam it, it's not suppose to go good in Iraq. What the heck are they doing over there?

Tribe helps al-Maliki win control of south
By Rowan Scarborough
Of all the tactical moves Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki made in March to wrest control of southern Iraq from Shi'ite extremists, none was more important than his government's meetings with tribal sheiks.

Behind the scenes, as his troops fought street by street to gain control of the city of Basra, Mr. al-Maliki reached out to Bani Tamim.

Of all the tactical moves Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki made in March to wrest control of southern Iraq from Shi'ite extremists, none was more important than his government's meetings with tribal sheiks.

"The past year's progress appears to have validated such an approach. Indeed, Prime Minister Maliki has reached out to tribal leaders repeatedly in efforts to help make them part of the solutions he has sought to forge in Iraq."

Link to Washington Times