In a new article entitled 'As ISIS Violence Worsens, Deir Ezzor's Tribes Prepare for Fight', Dawn Chatty comments on an increase in fighting in the last few weeks between Bedouin tribes and ISIS.
Professor Chatty explains that previously, many of Syria's Bedouin tribes had a 'live and let live' agreement with ISIS. They promised not to fight the extremist group as long as it respected their members. Now, after reports of brutal executions of Sheitaat tribe members by ISIS, that agreement is fraying. Professor Chatty believes that we will 'see the tribes start to gather up to fight':
I think that ISIS's leadership is not particularly well-trained with the Bedouin...I don't think they care [if the Bedouin are well-equipped] – ISIS will control territory by terrorizing the local people. But the Bedouin are very hard to terrorize, and the Bedouin will really come back. I wouldn't be surprised to see them come back and control Raqqa. ISIS...took it over without a fight because they made agreements with local tribes in the area. But now ISIS's behavior is impacting the tribes and their economy and how they live, and they won't accept it.
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