Iraq’s Sovereignty Alliance leads “unannounced” campaign to prevent support for Al-Assad regime: Sources
Shafaq News/ Khamis al-Khanjar, head of Iraq’s Sunni Sovereignty Alliance, is leading an “unannounced” political campaign to prevent the Iraqi government and political blocs from supporting Syria’s Al-Assad regime in its fight against opposition factions, informed political sources revealed on Saturday.
The sources told Shafaq News, "For the past few days, al-Khanjar has been leading a wide-ranging political movement to convince influential Iraqi political blocs that Iraq should remain neutral regarding the Syrian crisis and avoid intervening to support the regime in any way…He has informed Shiite and Kurdish political leaders of the importance of prioritizing Iraq's interests and preventing the country from being in a leading position in supporting the regime."
Furthermore, the sources pointed out that Al-Khanjar's efforts have shifted the stance of various Shiite factions on supporting the regime or involving armed factions in the fight. “Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has moderated his approach to the unfolding events in Syria, with Baghdad positioning itself as a host for regional parties concerned with the issue, rather than engaging in any escalation driven by Iran or the Syrian regime,” they explained.
Notably, clashes in Syria reignited on November 27 after an offensive by opposition forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), capturing key territories in cities such as Aleppo and Hama.
Iraq fears a repeat of the mid-2014 scenario when ISIS seized a third of the country, a development triggered by the extension of the Syrian conflict between the regime and opposition factions.
The opposition militant groups sought to strengthen political and economic ties with the Iraqi government after becoming involved in Syria's developments, claiming they would form an institutional government once the regime fell. However, Baghdad rejected these calls, stating it does not engage with “terrorist groups.”
