PM Al-Zaidi moves to legislate state control of arms
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi on Tuesday ordered legislation to place all weapons under state control, warning that uncontrolled arms pose the greatest threat to state authority by undermining the rule of law and weakening security institutions.
Al-Zaidi issued the directive during talks with Parliament’s Security and Defense Committee Chairman Khalid Mutib Al-Obaidi and other members, focusing on border and airspace protection, military capabilities, and coordination between the executive and legislature, according to the Prime Minister’s Media Office.
Al-Obaidi endorsed measures to strengthen border security, air defenses, and combat readiness.
The State Administration Coalition (SAC), which brings together leading Shiite, Sunni, and Kurdish political forces, has given armed groups until Sept. 30 to submit to government authority. At an Aug. 5 meeting, the coalition warned that those threatening national security would be treated as “outlaws,” with unauthorized military activity beyond the deadline subject to the Anti-Terrorism Law.
The deadline aligns with the scheduled end of the US-led Coalition’s military presence in Iraq, a timeframe some factions have cited in linking disarmament to the withdrawal of foreign forces.
Read more: Days to disarm Iraq's factions: deadline or negotiable ceiling?
