(Exclusive) “Managing weapons” instead of disarming them: A Shiite compromise on the table for al-Zaydi and the factions

(Exclusive) “Managing weapons” instead of disarming them: A Shiite compromise on the table for al-Zaydi and the factions

2026-08-20 10:28

Shafaq News – Baghdad
A source within the coordination framework revealed on Wednesday that prominent Shiite leaders presented a package of proposals to the leaders of the armed factions to contain the escalation with Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi. The proposals include replacing the concept of “disarmament” with the formula of “weapons management,” subjecting its use to the orders of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and separating the time frame between the withdrawal of American forces and the start of the implementation of the arms control arrangements.

The source told Shafaq News Agency that “active and influential leaders within the coordination framework, including the head of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri al-Maliki, the head of the Wisdom Movement, Ammar al-Hakim, and the leader of the Badr Organization, Hadi al-Amiri, presented more than one proposal to the leaders of the factions in an attempt to resolve the recent escalation between them and Prime Minister Ali al-Zubaidi, especially the Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba.”

He explained that “the most prominent proposals are based on moving from the concept of disarmament to the management of weapons, so that any use of them is subject to the orders of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, in order to ensure that no entity moves militarily outside the decision of the state.”

The source added that the proposals also include “adopting a time gap between the date of the withdrawal of US forces from their bases in Iraq, according to the security agreement concluded between Baghdad and Washington, and the date of starting the procedures for restricting or managing weapons,” indicating that this separation is intended to achieve “a balance in dates and commitments and to give the parties mutual guarantees.”

He pointed out that the proposals have already reached the leaders of the factions concerned, and that the forces that put them forward are waiting for their response, noting that “if they are not accepted, the coordination framework may move towards holding an extraordinary meeting to discuss other options and solutions.”

The source also suggested that the proposals would be accepted by the factions, given that they “were issued by influential leaders seeking to prevent a slide towards internal confrontation and to reach a formula that preserves the authority of the state and avoids escalation in the country.”

These moves coincide with the commencement of contacts and meetings by a special committee formed by the Coordination Framework, which includes Al-Amiri and Al-Hakim, with the factions that refuse to hand over their weapons, with the aim of mediating between them and Al-Zaydi and his government team tasked with the file of limiting weapons, and reaching mechanisms that prevent the political dispute from turning into a field confrontation.

The State of Law coalition, led by Maliki, had previously put forward a proposal to separate the date of the withdrawal of US forces from the issue of restricting weapons by a transitional period, which a source in the coordination framework told Shafaq News was intended to give the factions “messages of reassurance and confidence.”

The political move comes after an escalation in rhetoric between the government and Kataib Hezbollah, which recently threatened to respond to what it described as “provocative” government measures, and set conditions for any understanding regarding the factions’ weapons, foremost among them the complete withdrawal of US forces and a guarantee that they will not return.

In contrast, the four presidencies, in their meeting last Monday, reiterated their commitment to restricting weapons to the state, while the State Administration Coalition had previously set September 30 as the deadline for ending armed activity outside official institutions, warning against dealing with any armed activity after that date in accordance with the law.

September 30th coincides with the completion of the final phase of ending the international coalition’s mission in Iraq, according to the Iraqi-American agreement, a commitment that factions holding onto their weapons use primarily to demand an end to the foreign military presence before moving on to discussing the future of their armed capabilities.

The factions’ positions on the issue remain divergent, as Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat al-Nujaba and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada maintain their military capabilities, while other factions have expressed a willingness to organize their military and security relationship with the state.

shafaq.com