A mural depicting the logo of the Hashd al-Shaabi. (Credit: AFP)
Nearly two months after the parliamentary elections, the political deadlock persists in Baghdad, where negotiations over cabinet formation continue to stall. But behind the scenes, another, far more sensitive issue is causing tension: the future of armed factions operating outside the state authority. On Saturday, Dec. 20, Faiq Zidan, president of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, said that leaders of several armed factions had agreed to cooperate on the long-contested principle of the state’s full control over weapons.While several Iran-aligned groups expressed a principled openness to placing their arsenals under state control, the most powerful factions remain deeply reluctant, with some tying their disarmament to the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country. Zidan, for his part, welcomed what he described as a shift in...
Nearly two months after the parliamentary elections, the political deadlock persists in Baghdad, where negotiations over cabinet formation continue to stall. But behind the scenes, another, far more sensitive issue is causing tension: the future of armed factions operating outside the state authority. On Saturday, Dec. 20, Faiq Zidan, president of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, said that leaders of several armed factions had agreed to cooperate on the long-contested principle of the state’s full control over weapons.While several Iran-aligned groups expressed a principled openness to placing their arsenals under state control, the most powerful factions remain deeply reluctant, with some tying their disarmament to the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country. Zidan, for his part, welcomed what he described as a shift...
Israel continues attacks on southern Lebanon, demolishes buildings in Bint Jbeil