The head of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces announced the start of implementation of a government order by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, who is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces, to form a committee tasked with reorganizing the relationship with armed factions. The move is officially being presented as part of a broader effort to place all weapons under state control. PMF chief Faleh al-Fayyadh said in a television interview that the new committee had begun work on mechanisms for the “complete disengagement” of the PMF from any political, factional, or partisan frameworks. The aim was to turn the PMF into an institution governed by a unified system and linked to the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, he added. Fayyadh said the effort was based on the 2016 law governing the PMF and on successive government orders. But he said the war against ISIS had prevented full implementation over the past years. In a related development, Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, confirmed that a government order had been issued to form a “sovereign” committee that would set binding mechanisms to end the possession of weapons outside state control. He warned against what he described as the continued “politicization of the military institution,” saying national security required control over weapons. Fayyadh rejects calls to dissolve PMF At the same time, Fayyadh rejected local and diplomatic calls to dissolve the PMF after the end of “major battles”, describing such demands as “unrealistic.” He said the need for security forces, including the PMF, was “permanent” as long as security threats continued. Fayyadh said those who believed the PMF’s role had ended had a “superficial view,” referring to criticism he sees as driven by political opposition to his forces. In a more sensitive file, Fayyadh revealed special arrangements involving brigades affiliated with Saraya al-Salam, which is linked to the Sadrist movement, in Samarra. He said the brigades would be integrated into the PMF structure under new professional arrangements. The Saraya al-Salam had handed over their security responsibilities to the Iraqi army in Samarra city on Thursday. Fayyadh said these formations would be “received as individuals and restructured or redeployed in the field as needed.” He said the objective was to end the idea of “areas belonging to certain factions” in favor of unified military administration. In a notable statement, he added that some sites would be placed under temporary transitional arrangements supervised by the Iraqi army before being finally redistributed within the PMF. The developments come as the head of the Security Media Cell, Lieutenant General Saad Maan, announced the start of steps to implement the decision to place weapons under state control. He said a number of factions, including Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib al-Imam Ali, had begun legal procedures to hand over heavy and medium weapons ahead of integration into official institutions. Other factions, including Kataib Hezbollah, the Nujaba movement, and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, continue to reject handing over their weapons. They said disarmament depends on achieving the “goals for which they were formed,” particularly those linked to the presence of foreign forces in Iraq. The security spokesman for Kataib Hezbollah, Abu Mujahid al-Assaf, said some current initiatives “do not represent the factions of the Islamic Resistance.” The Nujaba said in a statement that weapons were a “red line.” ‘Unified standards’ Fayyadh said the current stage represented a “starting point” for applying unified standards to all formations. He warned against any political or partisan links within the military structure and said implementation would include all brigades without exception. Local press reports said leaders of the Coordination Framework have received signals that Washington will not accept symbolic disarmament. The reports said Washington is instead pushing for the “dissolution of the PMF” and firmly rejects its integration into other security institutions. Separately, Numan denied on Friday reports of changes in senior leadership positions in the military and security institutions. He said current commanders were continuing to perform their duties and national responsibilities normally.
