Iraq’s factions disbanding their military wings

Mahmud al-Batakoshi

Iraq’s factions prepare to disarm their military wings.

This comes in the wake of a decision to freeze the Popular Defense Brigades which are affiliated with Iraq’s Hezbollah Brigades.

Freezing the brigades is expected to include the closure of their offices across Iraq and the dissolution of the Promised Day Brigade which is loyal to the leader of the Sadrist movement, Muqtada al-Sadr.

The brigade will hand over its arms to the Popular Mobilization Forces.

The aforementioned move will fulfill a series of objectives.

One of the objectives is to allow the political forces operating these brigades to participate in the new government in Iraq.

The Sadrist movement believes that by rejecting the results of the latest legislative elections in Iraq, Shiite factions only want to ensure that they would be represented in the new government in the country.

This was why the movement proposed the initiative as a prerequisite for participation in the government.

The announcement by the Hezbollah Brigades is seen as an attempt by it to wash down its reputation from its failed attempt to assassinate Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on November 7.

According to observers, the Sadrist movement is the only party qualified and capable of disarming Iraq’s unrestrained militias.

The movement has enough force to impose its initiative, they said.

Al-Sadr announced on October 29 the closure of the headquarters of a number of armed factions, including the Saraya al-Salam faction.

The initiative also aims to prevent any escalation against Washington or neighboring countries by putting pressure on armed factions loyal to Iran to prevent them from entering war or confrontation with the US army.

This comes after the Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades opened the door to volunteering for potential battles against the Americans after they refused to withdraw fully from Iraq.