Glubb, Tribes and Iraq, 1922–1930

Abstract

This chapter discusses Glubb’s attitude towards tribes and his experience of desert operations in Iraq during the 1920s. The reports contain numerous comments on the nature of Bedouin society and the problem of raiding, and desert control, which dominated the early years of his career in Iraq and Transjordan. Glubb held the tribes and their customs in the highest regard, but he was well aware of their weaknesses. His experience of tribes and desert control were fundamental because he formed his ideas about how to control the desert. He argued that the Iraqi Government failed to comprehend the problem, and that technology, including vehicles and radios, gave the authorities an overwhelming advantage over the tribes. Furthermore, Glubb realised that the most effective way to establish control over the tribes was to recruit tribesmen. He applied the lessons he learnt in Iraq with great success in Transjordan.