INA–Baghdad
The spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Sabah Al-Nu’man, confirmed on Tuesday that the weapons inventory process has reached its mandatory implementation phase and that there is no option outside the framework of the law. He also noted that ending the international coalition’s military mission by the end of September is an obligation that cannot be postponed.
Al-Nu’man told the Iraqi News Agency (INA): “Iraq today is inaugurating an era of full sovereignty through the activation of the comprehensive security integration strategy and the centralization of official security decision-making within the state.”
He explained that “the features of the new structure impose a strict inventory process. The Supreme Central Committee, formed by order of the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, has begun taking possession of weapons, equipment, depots, and camps in the Samarra sector, signaling the dismantling of any political affiliation and the integration of supporting units and voluntary formations into the security apparatus while safeguarding the financial rights of fighters through official channels.”
He added, “This internal movement coincides with an unavoidable external requirement: the end of the international coalition’s military mission by the end of September and the transition to balanced bilateral partnerships that respect the full sovereignty of the Republic of Iraq.”
Al-Nu’man pointed out that “the process of restricting weapons has entered its binding implementation phase, as there is no option outside the framework of the law. This is taking place alongside the consolidation of the heroic Peshmerga forces’ status as an integral constitutional pillar of defense and the political process, as well as the commitment to caring for the families of their martyrs and wounded, thereby strengthening the integration of the national security system in the land of civilizations.”
He further noted that “the most prominent security challenge is ending militarization within cities and clearing populated areas in order to hand them over completely to the Ministry of Interior,” stressing that “the Iraqi security decision has become unified and confined to the hands of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. We will never allow our territory to be used as a launching pad for attacks against neighboring countries, nor will we tolerate any infringement on our national security or foreign interference in our affairs. Iraq is ready to maintain this balance using all its sovereign tools.”
