The agreement between the United States and Iran to end the conflict in the region has revived hopes that the Iraqi government will be able to disarm armed factions that are aligned with Iran. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi received US Special Presidential Envoy Tom Barrack in Baghdad for talks on the “shared commitment” of the US and Iraqi governments “to a strong and mutually beneficial US-Iraq partnership, able to fulfill Iraqi aspirations for a sovereign, secure, and prosperous future and to deliver tangible benefits for Americans and Iraqis alike,” said the US Embassy in Iraq in a statement on Tuesday. Barrack said US President Donald Trump looks forward to welcoming al-Zaidi to the White House mid-July “to discuss the future of this important relationship”. The leaders discussed “the shared aspirational vision for the Iraqi government to build a brighter future free from terrorism, to implement Iraqi plans for ensuring the complete disarmament and disbandment of all armed groups and formations operating outside the authority and control of the Iraqi state, to ensure the confinement of their weapons within the authority of the Iraqi state, and to assert full sovereignty in order to keep Iraq away from conflict and ensure that Iraqi territory cannot be used by any side to threaten regional peace.” “Al-Zaidi and Barrack underscored the urgency in full completion of these efforts,” added the statement. Al-Zaidi also reaffirmed Iraq's commitment to deepening trade and investment relations between the two countries, and Barrack welcomed this shared approach. The two sides also underscored “the importance of supporting a strong, sovereign, and united federal democratic Iraq, grounded in robust constitutional institutions, and ensuring full equality for all citizens, in a manner that strengthens Iraq's unity, stability, and prosperity.” Disarmament of factions Efforts to impose state monopoly over arms continue to be shrouded in mystery given the lack of clear mechanism and plans to that effect. So far, the government has said that it wanted to resolve this issue when the international anti-ISIS coalition ends its mission in Iraq in September. Meanwhile, more factions have been voicing their opposition to disarmament. The Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada reneged on Sunday on its previous declaration that it would lay down its arms. Observers said it changed its position after its leader Abu Ala al-Walai was placed on a US sanctions and terrorism list. They predicted that other factions may also change their stance on disarmament. Kataib spokesman Kazem al-Fartousi told the media on Sunday that the “resistance’s weapons was too great an issue to be discussed by the Iraqi government.” Rather, he said it was the “choice of the people and nation. So we cannot comply with calls that could be attributed to the government or foreign pressure.” “The weapons are needed for one goal and purpose: the withdrawal of the occupier,” he added. “We respect al-Zaidi's government as one that represents the Iraqi people, but we do not agree to the demand of disarmament and categorically reject it,” he continued, citing “repeated attacks on Iraq’s sovereignty.” “We have several reasons to keep the weapons,” he added. The staunchly pro-Iran Kataib Hezbollah and al-Nujaba movement have been adamantly opposed to disarmament since the government expressed its determination to impose state monopoly over weapons. A source close to the factions revealed that “direct and serious threats have been made against political and government powers” against pursuing disarmament, which explains why discussions over the issue have died down somewhat in Iraq in recent days. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, did not elaborate on the threats, but spoke of fears of “intra-Shiite strife should the authorities maintain their position on disarmament.” The source did not rule out the possibility that Iran could exert its influence over the factions to respect a long-term truce in Iraq should the agreement to end the war with the US stand. Researcher and former diplomat Ghazi al-Faisal stressed that Iran plays a decisive role in the disarmament file. He told Asharq Al-Awsat: “Any strategic shift in the Iranian policy will reflect directly on Iraq.” “Should Iran choose the path of a developed state and economic integration instead of backing cross-border armed groups, then that will pave the way for a new phase of stability in the region,” he remarked. “Iraq will benefit the most from such a shift,” he predicted.
