BAGHDAD — Iraqi parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri issued a warning against involving the tribes in political disputes Aug. 14. His warning came a few days after the tribes affiliated with Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi and parliament member Mohammed al-Karbouli interfered in a political dispute as the two exchanged accusations of corruption during the Aug. 1 parliamentary session.
Jabouri seemed greatly concerned about the involvement of Iraq's tribes in political conflicts. During a visit by a tribal delegation to the parliament, he told a number of Iraqi tribal leaders, "Preserving the independence of the tribes in Iraq is an important and essential safeguard. The ongoing attempts to drag the tribes into side conflicts are designed to undermine the building of Iraqi society and the Iraqi state.”