WASHINGTON, June 25 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military is exploring ways to offer financial aid and other support to Iraqi tribes that have turned against al-Qaeda or want to protect their neighborhoods, the USA Today newspaper reported Monday.

    The effort comes amid complaints by the Bush administration that Iraq's Shiite-led government has been slow to reach out to Sunni groups on its own.

    Lt. Col. Rick Welch, a division staff officer who works with tribes, told the newspaper that the U.S. military is establishing regulations that would allow commanders to dispense aid more quickly.

    Welch said options under consideration included security contracts -- the U.S military has tentatively decided it can hire a security company composed of tribesmen or other groups to protect a building or other site, as long as the group is licensed by Iraq's Interior Ministry; medical assistance -- when some Sunnis in the Amariyah section of Baghdad recently clashed with al-Qaeda militants, the U.S. military provided medical help to wounded fighters; and cash payments -- rewards already have been offered for intelligence tips, and condolence payments could be made to the families of tribesmen who were killed while fighting.

    The U.S. military's ultimate goal is to encourage the tribes, many of which are composed of former Sunni insurgents, to join Iraq's army and police forces. Tribes throughout Iraq have shown an increasing willingness in recent months to stand up to insurgents but may be looking for assistance in return for broader cooperation, according to the report.

    The trend began in Anbar province, a Sunni insurgent stronghold west of the Iraqi capital where dozens of tribes have turned on al Qaeda, and has recently spread to Baghdad and the surrounding area, the report said.

    "We can't miss this opportunity," Brig. Gen. John Campbell, deputy commander of the U.S. division in Baghdad, was quoted as saying.