Al-Maliki: Threat rhetoric between state and factions has ended
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Nouri Al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition, outlined on Wednesday the approach currently being pursued to bring weapons under the control of the Iraqi state, describing the process as “regulating and containing” weapons rather than “disarming” armed factions.
Speaking to Al Sharqiya TV, Al-Maliki said the rhetoric of threats and confrontation surrounding the issue had subsided as political actors recognized that threats and attacks would not produce results.
“Neither is the government weak enough to be attacked, nor is it in the factions’ interest to be attacked.”
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Al-Maliki noted that the shift had created an opportunity for dialogue “among those concerned with national affairs and internal stability, to reach an arrangement that could resolve the issue without triggering a confrontation.”
On the mechanism currently under discussion, he noted that a distinction was being considered between heavy, medium and light weapons. Al-Maliki also raised the question of whether the process would apply to all weapons or only certain categories considered capable of being used against targets inside or outside Iraq. “These issues will be resolved by the committee formed with the factions.”
On August 26, Al-Maliki called for the issue of placing weapons under state control to be addressed without escalation or confrontation, warning that a conflict between the state and armed factions over the matter could have serious consequences for Iraq’s stability and lead to divergent political positions.
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