Shafaq News- Baghdad

The departure of US forces from Iraq should be publicly celebrated rather than marked by a quiet ceremony, Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) media director Muhannad al-Aqabi said on Thursday, describing the planned end of the US-led Coalition’s mission in September as a major government achievement.

Speaking at a news conference, al-Aqabi described Sept. 30 as “Iraqi Sovereignty Day” and credited the government with securing the withdrawal, saying the occasion deserved a public celebration.

The US-led Global Coalition’s military mission in Iraq is due to end by Sept. 30, with Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi describing the date as the fixed and final deadline.

From Combat To Bilateral Cooperation

The United States has led the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS since 2014, when the group seized large areas of Iraq and Syria. The Coalition’s role gradually shifted from combat operations to advising and assisting Iraqi forces and the Peshmerga, as well as providing intelligence and surveillance support. Iraq declared ISIS territorially defeated in 2017.

Calls for the withdrawal of foreign forces intensified after a US airstrike near Baghdad airport in January 2020 killed Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani and PMF deputy chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Iraqi officials condemned the strike as a violation of the country’s sovereignty, and parliament passed a non-binding resolution that month calling on the government to end the presence of foreign forces.

Baghdad and Washington later opened talks on transitioning away from the Coalition framework. The Iraqi government has said the Coalition’s mission is complete while seeking continued bilateral security cooperation with the United States, including training and military support.

Read more: Iraq's disarmament deadline pits Baghdad against Iran-aligned factions

Armed Factions And State Control

Al-Aqabi also said efforts were continuing to separate armed factions from their political affiliations, particularly Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Saraya al-Salam, as part of the government’s broader push to bring all weapons under state control.

The process gained momentum after Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr moved to separate Saraya al-Salam from his political movement and integrate the faction into state institutions.

Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib Imam Ali later announced similar steps, including forming committees to inventory personnel, weapons, and vehicles and regulate their relationship with state institutions.

Not all factions have joined the process. Kataib Hezbollah has resisted calls to surrender its weapons, portraying the disarmament drive as the result of US pressure.

Read more: Iraq after the Global Coalition: Between sovereignty and strategic risk