'Sovereignty Law' gains traction within Iraq's CF
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq’s Shiite political forces are weighing a proposed “Sovereignty Law” that would regulate the handover of weapons by armed factions, establish a drone unit within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), and address the presence of Turkish forces in northern Iraq, a source within the Coordination Framework (CF) told Shafaq News on Sunday.
The proposal was discussed during the latest CF meeting and put forward by a four-member committee tasked with negotiating with the factions.
Under the plan, local administrations in areas north of the 36th parallel would oversee the withdrawal of Turkish and other forces, while Baghdad, seeking to leverage the influence of US envoy Tom Barrack, according to the source, would handle the Turkish withdrawal from the Bashiqa camp, which lies south of the 36th parallel on Iraqi territory.
The 36th parallel is a historical reference to the no-fly zone established by the 1991 US-led Coalition over northern Iraq to protect the Kurdistan Region. The zone remained in place until 2003.
Turkish forces have been present in parts of northern Iraq for years, particularly in Nineveh province and border areas of the Kurdistan Region, including the Zlikan camp in Bashiqa district. Ankara has described its military presence as part of operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which it designates as a terrorist organization. The deployment, however, has repeatedly caused tensions with Baghdad, which has called for respect for Iraq’s sovereignty and an end to the “unagreed military presence.”
Read more: Iraq factions resist disarmament as coalition exit nears
On the weapons-management front, Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is expected to discuss the regulation and management of weapons during a planned meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, the source said, noting that the talks are also expected to address a timeframe for completing the process, which could extend until the middle of next year.
On Saturday, another source told Shafaq News that al-Zaidi will press Trump to hold off on any US financial or economic sanctions on Baghdad. The appeal is tied to September 30, the date originally set by Baghdad for bringing faction weapons under state control and which also marks the scheduled end of the Coalition’s military mission in Iraq.
Behind the request is concern that the United States could halt dollar shipments to Iraq as early as next month if there is no progress. Iraq’s oil revenues are paid in dollars into an account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, giving Washington leverage over the flow of cash to Baghdad.
Read more: Iraq caught between US-Iran war and September 30 deadline
