Baghdad: National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister, Qasim al-Araji, declared that September 30 will signify the conclusion of the Global Coalition’s mission in Iraq, marking the commencement of an effort to bring all weapons under state control. Al-Araji emphasized the importance of political parties separating themselves from the Popular Mobilization Forces’ brigades.
According to Iraqi News Agency, Al-Araji, during an interview on Al-Iraqiya News’ ‘Al-Mashhad’ program, indicated that ‘the battle against ISIS has ended militarily, though some terrorist pockets persist,’ stressing that ‘the battle has not ended completely.’ He highlighted that the initiative to place all weapons under state control is a strategic Iraqi decision, with the authority over war and peace resting solely with the Iraqi state.
Al-Araji elaborated that the process of placing weapons under state control will not occur through provocations and will require time to protect everyone’s rights. He detailed that the government has established a mechanism and timeframe for the disengagement and handover of weapons. While September 30 is set for the withdrawal of the Global Coalition, it is not the deadline for weapons handover but rather the start of fulfilling government objectives and gradually centralizing weapon control.
He underscored the consensus on transferring all weapons to state control, urging political parties to disassociate from Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) brigades while ensuring PMF fighters’ rights. Al-Araji attributed some factions’ reluctance to surrender weapons to regional circumstances but assured that the government is earnest about the disengagement and is engaged in positive talks with factions.
Al-Araji clarified that the factions are integral to the state, with confrontation being a ‘red line,’ and assured that the state will guarantee their rights post-disarmament. He also stated that all factions’ weapons will reinforce the state and not be surrendered to external entities, asserting that the process of disengagement and weapons handover is contingent on their cooperation.
He affirmed the state’s capacity to enforce weapon centralization, emphasizing the necessity for trust-building with factions to fulfill disengagement requirements. Al-Araji assured that centralizing weapons will not result in a political crisis.
Addressing political and security matters, Al-Araji called for unified political decision-making, noting unanimous political support for state-controlled weapons. He proposed a joint security coordination council to Iran and Saudi Arabia to address their trust issues, foreseeing strengthened relations with Global Coalition countries post-September 30.
Al-Araji also highlighted economic partnerships as vital to security and identified foreign forces’ presence and displaced people’s return as major security challenges. He confirmed that the current Prime Minister will not seek re-election, stating he is suitable for the current phase.
Reaffirming the state’s exclusive control over weapons and sovereignty decisions, Al-Araji called for collective responsibility in defending Iraq’s sovereignty.