Al-Alusi: A sectarian regional conflict could lead to Millions of Iraqi victims…De-escalation in the hand of Al-Sudani
Shafaq News/ Prominent Iraqi politician Mithal al-Alusi warned on Thursday of the potential for a "devastating regional sectarian conflict that could claim the lives of millions of innocent people."
He emphasized that "defusing the conflict" rests in the hands of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. In a statement to Shafaq News regarding the growing presence of the Global Coalition forces in Syria and the potential risks to regional security, al-Alusi argued that "this issue is not just about Syria and Iraq. in Syria, there are Sunni militias armed and in control, while in Iraq, armed militias are the ruling authority, all driven by Iranian leadership and influence."
He explained that "in both regional centers, the conflict is between two sects and the extremists from both sides. Neither the Syrian militia nor the Iraqi militia believes in the idea of a civil state." Al-Alusi expressed concern that this situation could lead to the resurgence of groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIS, while also seeing Shiite extremists aligned with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah as potential threats. He warned this could result in intense fighting and a wider regional conflict.
The Iraqi politician pointed out that "the international forces may currently be the safeguard preventing the outbreak of a regional sectarian war" and stressed that "the de-escalation of this conflict, which could claim millions of innocent lives, lies in the hands of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani." Moreover, Al-Alusi noted that the key to avoiding this conflict depends on whether PM al-Sudani can disarm the militias and others operating outside the official Iraqi structure, strengthen the state's power, and enhance the capabilities of the security forces and the Iraqi army. “The success would come if Al-Sudani could create a government capable of providing services and resolving crises between Baghdad and Erbil, as well as forming a successful model of governance free from militia control or, at the very least, capable of controlling them and Iran-affiliated factions.”
Earlier on Thursday, US forces brought in a new convoy to areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern and eastern Syria, consisting of approximately 50 trucks carrying cement blocks.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the convoy was spotted on the Al-Hasakah-Raqqa road, heading towards the Kobani area in eastern Aleppo, escorted by an SDF military vehicle. The Observatory reported that the convoy was part of efforts to fortify US bases and establish a new military facility in the area, amid growing security and military tensions in the region. On Wednesday, the US-led Coalition also sent a logistical convoy that included prefabricated rooms, surveillance cameras, trench-digging equipment, cement blocks, and fuel tankers to Kobani.
The Syrian Observatory also noted that these military reinforcements reflect an intensified military readiness in response to escalating security challenges, particularly with the increasing activity of ISIS.
