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Islamic State Subdues Sunni Muslim Tribes in Syria and Iraq

(AP-Washington Post) The Islamic State group is employing multiple tactics to subdue the Sunni Muslim tribes in Syria and Iraq under its rule, wooing some with gifts while brutally suppressing those that resist with mass killings. The result is that the extremists face little immediate threat of an uprising by the tribes, the most powerful social institution in the area. Any U.S. drive to try to turn tribesmen against the militants, as the Americans did with Sunnis during the Iraq war, faces an uphill battle. Haian Dukhan, a researcher at the University of St. Andrews Center for Syrian Studies, says there's little chance for a revolt unless tribes are confident the extremists are losing. "I think that for the time being, seeing a large-scale uprising against IS is just a fantasy."
2014-11-27 00:00:00
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