As the last US troops pack up in Iraq, militias signal their weapons will stay
Hundreds of remaining U.S. troops are set to leave by Sept. 30 as Iraqi militias reject a government push to surrender weapons.
- The U.S. military is finalizing its withdrawal from Iraq by Sept. 30, with hundreds of troops exiting northern bases as the government issues an ultimatum for armed groups to disarm.
- Following the 2024 agreement between Washington and Baghdad to wind down the mission, the government now seeks to integrate armed factions under control of the Iraqi army.
- Powerful Iran-backed militias like Kataib Hezbollah have rejected disarmament demands, with factions stating there is "absolutely no decision" to surrender "dynamic weapons."
- Kurdish leadership expresses anxiety about security after the withdrawal, as Iran-affiliated groups have targeted energy facilities and the office of Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.
- Iraqi government spokesperson Sabah al-Numan said last week that dialogues remain ongoing, though analyst Sajad Jiyad stated there will be no disarming of any groups by the 30th of September.
31 Articles
31 Articles
Why Iraq’s militias will keep their weapons
On Sept. 30, the US is due to complete its final withdrawal from Iraq, more than two decades after its ill-fated invasion. With this will come a moment Baghdad has branded “sovereignty day.” It is the date on which the Iraqi state is supposed to hold a monopoly on all weapons within its borders. But if recent history is any indication, that landmark achievement will not happen. Not because the process is complicated but because Iran has decided …
“Iran-Backed Iraqi Militias Won’t Be Disarmed Before U.S. Withdrawal,” Expert Warns
Two deadlines are looming for Iraq at the end of the month: the end of a decades-long U.S. military presence and the disarmament of non-state armed groups. The U.S. withdrawal is underway, and officials say the hundreds of troops remaining in northern Iraq will be out by the Sept. 30 deadline. The Iraqi government has […]
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