Al-Maliki: Threat between state and factions has ended

Shafaq News- Baghdad

Nouri Al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition, described on Wednesday the current approach being pursued to bring weapons under the control of the Iraqi state as “regulating and containing” weapons rather than “disarming” armed factions.

Speaking to Al Sharqiya TV, Al-Maliki said the rhetoric of threats and confrontation surrounding the issue had subsided as political actors recognized that threats and attacks would not produce results.

“The government is not weak enough to be attacked, and an attack on the factions would not serve their interests."

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Al-Maliki said that the shift had created an opportunity for dialogue “among those concerned with national affairs and internal stability, to reach an arrangement that could resolve the issue without triggering a confrontation.”

On the mechanism currently under discussion, he noted that a distinction was being considered between heavy, medium and light weapons. Al-Maliki also raised the question of whether the process would apply to all weapons or only certain categories considered capable of being used against targets inside or outside Iraq. “These issues will be resolved by the committee formed with the factions.”

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