Tribal rivalries emerge as Iraqis seek local posts
RAMADI, Iraq — Here in barren Anbar Province, the tribes that were once the main source of support for killing American soldiers are now running in provincial elections that, in the best case, could fulfill American promises to create stability in Iraq by the ballot box.
But two weeks before the voting, in Anbar it appears that the ancient tribal way of doing business is on a collision course with the new ideal of democracy. Anbar is where the United States military enlisted tribal leaders and former insurgents to create the Sunni Awakening, fostering a calm that rippled around Iraq.