Which ((Albu 'Ubayd)) are you talking about?

Unfortunately, when dealing with Iraqi Arab sub-tribes, ((Albu 'Ubayd)) is not ((Albu 'Ubayd)). Why? Each Iraqi main tribe consists of sub-tribes of different sizes. Each sub-tribe can consist of sub-tribes that belong to it. Some main tribes, such as the ((Al-Muntafaq)) consist of over 800 sub-tribes! Some of these sub-tribes have exactly the same first name!

Here's most if not all of the ((Albu 'Ubayd)) Iraqi Arab sub-tribes, some of which belong to different main tribes. Others are from the same main tribe, but different branches! Note that each of these sub-tribes has a different tribal name chain. There are six ((Al-Muntafaq)) sub-tribal name chains that begin with ((Albu 'Ubayd)), but each one represents a different sub-tribe.

((Albu ‘Ubayd)) ((Albu ‘Ubayd)) ((Bani ‘Aridh)) ((Al-Jabsha)) ((Al-Muntafaq))
((Albu ‘Ubayd)) ((Albu Husayn)) ((Al-Khamis)) ((Al-A’ajib)) ((Bani Hajim)) ((Al-Muntafaq))
((Albu ‘Ubayd)) ((Albu Mahdi)) ((Albu Mahaydi)) ((Albu Baz)) ((Al-Samara’i))
((Albu ‘Ubayd)) ((Albu Radayni)) ((Al-Sabti))((Al-Dulaymi))
((Albu ‘Ubayd)) ((Albu Siriya)) ((Al-Khafaji)) ((Al-Ajwad)) ((Al-Muntafaq))
((Albu ‘Ubayd)) ((Al-Ja’afara)) ((Al-'Ankabi))
((Albu ‘Ubayd)) ((Al-Kari’at)) ((Al-Luhayb)) ((Al-Juburi))
((Albu ‘Ubayd)) ((Al-Khanif)) ((Al-Khafaji)) ((Al-Ajwad)) ((Al-Muntafaq))
((Albu ‘Ubayd)) ((Al-Khatibat)) ((Al-Ibrahim)) ((Al-Maliki)) ((Al-Muntafaq))
((Albu ‘Ubayd)) ((Al-Malahma)) ((Albu Radayni)) ((Al-Sabti))((Al-Dulaymi))
((Albu ‘Ubayd)) ((Al-Shabana)) ((Al-Akra’a)) ((Al-Shimmari)) ((Al-Ta’i))
((Albu ‘Ubayd)) ((Al-Zur)) ((Al-Khafaji)) ((Al-Ajwad)) ((Al-Muntafaq))
((Albu ‘Ubayd)) ((Bani ‘Ajil)) aka ((Al-‘Ajili))
((Albu ‘Ubayd)) ((Bani ‘Aridh)) ((Al-Jabsha)) ((Al-Muntafaq))

So what, you may ask? Each has a separate sheikh or mukhtar! These sheikhs and mukhtars are central to our efforts to work with the Iraqi population.

And, let's be careful not confuse them with the ((Al-'Ubayd)) main tribe, with hundreds of sub-tribes of its own!

Be careful navigating the Iraqi Arab tribal networks, because the ((Albu 'Ubayd)) is not the ((Albu 'Ubayd)). In actuality, the Iraq Arab Tribal System is a dizzying collection of groups within groups. Mastering this system is vital to the United States' success in Iraq.