On July 7, Iraq’s Revolutionary Tribal Leaders Conference was held in Erbil. It consisted of armed groups' tribal leaders who have cooperated with the Islamic State (IS), under the slogan of “Hand in Hand to Liberate Iraq.”

Sheikh Raad al-Suleiman, the spokesman for the conference, said, “Sunni areas have been liberated from the Iraqi government. The armed groups are seeking to liberate Baghdad, and their objective is to overthrow the political process.”

Other speakers said that they are not just asking for the ouster of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, but their intention is to push away the whole political project. It was also announced that tribal forces will not fight against IS as long as they have the same key goal of liberating Baghdad, and only then can differences be resolved. Moreover, Suleiman revealed that official communication and coordination with IS in military operations and on their overall objectives is taking place. This clearly shows that the project adopted by this conference and the presence of any armed group in the areas under IS control fall under the category of terrorist activity.

As Al-Monitor learned from a source present, the conference was held at the Jouhayna Hotel in Erbil, followed by a news conference. The source added that a large number of Sunni leaders involved in armed actions in IS-controlled areas, such as Ali Hatem al-Suleiman and Ahmad Dabbash, were present at the conference and have been residing in Erbil for some time now, as well as leaders from the Baath Party, which Al-Monitor met in Erbil.