Not exactly what I was thinking of. Rather, I was thinking that the Hashemites were the traditional rulers of Jordan, much of what is today Saudi Arabia, and used to lay claim to the Sunni regions of Iraq when it was part of the Othoman Empire. In fact, when Iraq was first assembled at the end of WWI, the British installed a Hashemite King (the grand uncle, I believe, of the current king of Jordan). This guy was thrown out by the the bunch that later brought us Saddam.
What I'm thinking is that maybe, just maybe, our guys are using tribalim to our advantage by introducing a pro-Hashimite faction, trained in Jordan, into Iraq to fight the other tribes there. Maybe even in the name of the King Of Jordan, lawful ruler of Iraq...
I thing the Wahibs in Al Quida think the same. That would explain the attempted massive gas attack in Jordan the other day.
Just speculating....
That would have been King Faisal I (the same one played by Alec Guinness in LAWRENCE OF ARABIA), who died shortly after his coronation, being succeeded by his son, Ghazi I, who died a few years later, succeeded by his son Faisal II, who's the one who was assassinated by rebel officers in 1959. I believe they were of the same line as the current kings of Jordan, who are hereditary sharifs of Mecca, thus rivals to the Wahabi rulers of Saudi Arabia. Not much love lost among any of them, apparently.
One might hope that American politicians would be smart enough to consider that option - but I wouldn't bet on it...
;>)