Tribes and the State in Libya and Iraq: From the Nationalist Era to the New Order

Tribes in Libya and Iraq have emerged as influential political, security, and social actors, but they remain poorly understood. Alison Pargeter's book explores their role in the revolutionary nationalist period and the fraught transitions that followed, revealing how they have developed a presence in national and local political structures, engaged and bargained with major powerbrokers, and become important security providers in their own right. Despite modernist approaches seeking to write the obituary of the tribe, they have survived and remain a key component of the state in both countries.

Format: Hardback
Length: 344 pages
Publication date: 07 December 2023
Publisher: C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd

Regime change in Libya (2011) and Iraq (2003) brought about significant changes in the political landscape, leading to the emergence of sub-state actors such as tribes. While these actors have gained increased visibility and influence, they remain poorly understood and often associated with the periphery or pre-national forms of political organization. However, tribes have a rich history in the Middle East and have proven to be adaptable and resilient, engaging with various regimes and playing important roles in national and local political structures. Alison Pargeter's book, based on interviews with tribal sheikhs, representatives, and other stakeholders, explores the role of tribes in Libya and Iraq from the revolutionary nationalist period to the post-revolutionary transitions. She reveals how tribes have developed a presence in national and local political structures, engaged with major powerbrokers, and become important security providers in their own right. Contrary to modernist approaches that seek to write the obituary of the tribe, this book demonstrates that tribes have not only survived in Libya and Iraq but continue to be a key component of the state in both countries.

Weight: 538g
Dimension: 150 x 225 x 34 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781805260448