The spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief: We have not seen any rejection from the factions regarding the restriction of weapons.
The spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces confirmed on Thursday that there was no “rejection” by the factions to implement the decision to restrict weapons to the state, noting that the dialogues on this issue had “come a long way”.
Major General Sabah al-Nu’man told Shafaq News Agency that talks regarding restricting weapons to the state are ongoing, stressing that “we have not seen any rejection from the factions” regarding the issue. SubscribingTo Digital Newspaper Outlets
He noted that the assigned central committee had made significant progress in these dialogues.
Al-Nu’man explained that the government will work to expedite the conclusion of the dialogues in order to reach a stage where “there are no weapons outside the state”.
He added that a group of weapons is being classified, and storage facilities have been allocated for them, along with a database of affiliates.
The media director of the Popular Mobilization Forces, Muhannad al-Aqabi, had previously indicated that the disengagement procedures were continuing, especially with “Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq” and “Saraya al-Salam”.
The issue of armed factions is one of the most sensitive issues facing the Iraqi government, with the approach of September 30, which the main political forces have set as the deadline for restricting weapons to official institutions.
The State Administration Coalition, which includes the most prominent Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish political forces, stressed during its meeting on August 5 the need to restrict weapons to the state, and considered the parties that carry out activities that threaten the security of the country outside the framework of official institutions as “outlaws and must be fought.”
The coalition warned that any armed activity outside the framework of the state after September 30 would be dealt with according to the anti-terrorism law.
The September 30th date also coincides with the deadlines related to ending the military presence of the international coalition in Iraq, which some factions use as a basis for linking the future of their weapons to the withdrawal of foreign forces.
Shafaq.com