Shafaq News- Baghdad

Former Iraqi Prime Minister and head of the State of Law Coalition (SLC) Nouri al-Maliki hailed efforts to place weapons under state control during a meeting on Sunday with US Chargé d’Affaires to Iraq Joshua Harris.

Al-Maliki stressed the importance of keeping arms exclusively in the hands of state institutions, noting that strengthening state authority and enforcing the rule of law are essential to preserving security, stability, and Iraq's broader national interests.

The meeting also covered regional developments, bilateral relations, and ongoing political efforts to secure parliamentary approval for the remaining cabinet positions.

https://shafaq.com/en/Iraq/Iraq-s-Al-Nujaba-challenges-government-disarmament-planEarlier this week, Iraqi security officials outlined the first practical steps toward integrating armed factions into state institutions, beginning with the transfer of facilities and weapons belonging to Saraya al-Salam of Iraq’s Patriotic Shiite Movement (PSM).

The ruling Shiite Coordination Framework (CF), to which the SLC belongs, recently endorsed Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's plans to restructure relations between armed groups and the state.

Several factions have already taken steps in that direction. Both Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib Imam Ali have introduced measures aimed at reorganizing their forces and aligning them with the government's weapons-control initiative. Harakat al-Nujaba (HAN), Kataib Hezbollah, and Ashab al-Kahf, however, have rejected calls for disengagement.

Read more: How the US pushed Iraq's armed factions toward disarmament, and who is still pushing back