Some of the magic in there is fully understanding the connection between the Imam's and the tribes. I've discovered some very interesting things in that regard. Problem is that us Americans, in general, are resting on our laurels when it comes to tribal studies. We still think we know something about the tribes - and we are just getting done with our first step!
I like your thinking, Rifleman. In fact, many sheikhs in Iraq are pushing for the creation of a "house of lords" branch of the government. It's not a terrible idea, and at the very least it would allow for sheikhs to either succeed at positively contributing to the government, or proving once and for all that they can't. Nevertheless, I like the idea of including their voices in the government from an official standpoint - it gives the sheikhs a buy-in to the iraqi government in a way that would make the government uniquely Iraqi. In the end, the government has to represent the population in a manner that conforms with the shape of the population.
V/r,
tribeguy
Bookmarks