Harsh justice where U.S. relies on Iraq tribes

Harsh justice where U.S. relies on Iraq tribes
By Peter Graff
Reuters
Tuesday, September 4, 2007; 6:41 AM


AL QAIM, Iraq (Reuters) - Seated between his police chief and a U.S. Marine battalion commander, the Iraqi mayor opened his weekly security meeting by explaining how he had authorized one of the local tribes to carry out a summary execution.

The police had caught two men who had killed another policeman.

"As you all know, the Iraqi court system is still weak," said Mayor Farhan Ftehkhan, while an interpreter translated for the benefit of the Americans.

"Yesterday I met the sheikhs, and they decided to kill them as soon as possible. So the tribes took their decision and they killed those criminals."

~snip~

But the summary execution is a sign of the compromises that U.S. forces still have to make.

"We are working hard to get the rule of law stood up here," said the Marine battalion commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Jason Bohm, speaking after the security meeting at a border outpost overlooking the Euphrates river as it pours in from Syria.


Rest of article at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/04/AR2007090400353.html