Mohamed Thaban al Shiblawy, head of Iraq’s powerful Shibil tribe, pledged 2,500 of his best fighters to join government forces in the battle against the al Qaida splinter group known as the Islamic State. A massive paramilitary effort is under way to shore up the beleaguered Iraqi army, but there are concerns that the central government is too weak to keep so many new militiamen under control. HANNAH ALLAM — MCT Related Stories: NAJAF, Iraq — Mohamed Thaban al Shiblawy was prepared for this moment from the time he was a boy, with lessons about the protocols of battle from tribal lore and old photos that show his rifle-toting grandfather astride a horse during the 1920 uprising against the British occupation of Iraq. Shiblawy, 46, is now emir of his ancient tribe, the Shibil, which claims more than 250,000 members and keeps offices near Najaf in an area locals still proudly refer […]