تحالف رئيس الوزراء العراقي يؤيد حصر السلاح بيد الدولة

The representative of the Reconstruction and Development parliamentary bloc, Hamid Al-Shiblawi, expressed his bloc's support, led by Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani, for steps to restrict arms to the state, emphasizing the importance of preventing responsible parties from armed factions from running in elections.

Al-Shiblawi told "Okaz": "The bloc supports the government's steps to restrict arms to the state, but the citizen needs real and serious steps that make him feel the presence of more realistic measures, including preventing the parties and individuals responsible for armed factions from running in the elections."

He added: "The work being done by the current government is arduous and almost impossible due to previous accumulations, yet the current government is working seriously and has saved the country from an external crisis and an internal civil war for specific periods."

Meanwhile, an American report warned today (Thursday) of the ongoing risks facing Iraq despite the years that have passed since the military defeat of the ISIS terrorist organization, calling for an end to treating the country as a geopolitical battleground and viewing it as a partner that enjoys sovereignty and is capable of charting its path toward stability.

The American website "Eurasia Review" mentioned in its report that the specter of ISIS still looms on the horizon, despite the decline in its media presence among international concerns.

The report confirmed that many foreign observers believed that Iraq had turned the page on chaos after the defeat of ISIS in 2017, yet there have been limited attacks by the organization in recent months, particularly in the areas of Diyala, Kirkuk, and the Hamrin Mountains, which often target security forces, checkpoints, and even civilians.

The report addressed the evolving role of the Popular Mobilization Forces in the post-ISIS phase, as they have become involved in the official Iraqi security framework, but they remain a subject of controversy due to issues related to accountability, parallel command structures, and regional influences, noting that some Western narratives address this file in a simplified and fragmented manner, ignoring the historical and political complexities that shape the nature of the security system in Iraq and overlooking concepts of national sovereignty.

In the same context, the report pointed out that the withdrawal of American combat forces from Iraq was met with widespread popular approval, but it also revealed gaps in intelligence and logistical information exchange, at a time when the Iraqi army is suffering from pressures related to budget cuts, political imbalances, and declining public trust in official institutions.

The report warned that the continuation of the political crisis in the country, manifested in stagnation and weak service delivery, creates a fertile environment for the return of extremism, especially in light of growing feelings of social frustration, rising unemployment rates among youth, and deteriorating infrastructure.

The report noted that Iraq's stability must stem from respect for its sovereignty, and that dialogue and cooperation should be pursued rather than external intervention and pressure, emphasizing that foreign policies based on military intervention undermine internal legitimacy and fuel public anger.

The report called on the international community, particularly Western countries, to invest in the Iraqi people and not to be satisfied with counter-terrorism approaches, stressing that the real opportunity lies in supporting state institutions, enhancing citizens' resilience, and fostering regional cooperation, instead of keeping Iraq as a battleground for settling geopolitical scores.