The decision to disband them has reached Washington… There is a strong possibility that “Saraya al-Salam” will be merged with the Federal Police.
The decision to disband them has reached Washington… There is a strong possibility that “Saraya al-Salam” will be merged with the Federal Police.
2026-05-31
Shafaq News – Baghdad
A political analyst close to the Shiite nationalist movement suggested on Sunday that the “Peace Brigades” elements would be integrated with the Federal Police and withdrawn from the Popular Mobilization Forces, due to the movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr’s remarks about the organization. While he indicated that the decision to separate the brigades had been communicated to the United States, he pointed out that the creation of a new armed formation was linked to “the country’s circumstances.”
Political analyst Rafed Al-Atwani told Shafaq News Agency, “Al-Sadr’s decision came as a result of an external variable and the requirements of the current stage. Previously, American forces were on the ground in Iraq, which necessitated armed formations such as the Mahdi Army and others. Now, the situation has changed, and the government has adopted a project to restrict weapons, with international pressure in this regard.”
He affirms that “Al-Sadr tried during previous governments to integrate members of the Peace Brigades into the security services, but the governments refused and insisted on the existence of the factions, whether the Brigades or others, independently on the ground.”
Regarding the presence of the Saraya in the Popular Mobilization Forces through three brigades, and the nature of their situation after the decision to separate, the analyst explains this part by saying: “The Saraya are indeed present in the Popular Mobilization Forces, but the decision aims to withdraw them from the organization as well and perhaps integrate them with the Federal Police, according to my expectation, because the separation is already in place due to their presence in the organization.”
Al-Atwani continues: “Al-Sadr has many reservations about the Popular Mobilization Forces factions and their leadership, and the continued presence of the brigades within them may create numerous and complex problems. Therefore, according to my expectation, the matter is heading towards integrating them into another security apparatus.”
He reveals that “there are 400 members of the brigades who are not affiliated with the authority, and these also need a legal and financial arrangement, in addition to many leaders who are not affiliated with the state. Therefore, the file will take a long time, or perhaps al-Sadr will turn some of them into (al-Bunyan al-Marsous), and these are all details that are still pending.”
He affirms that “Al-Sadr’s recent decision differs in its circumstances from the previous dissolution and freezing decisions issued against the formations that existed years ago; and currently the religious authority is pressing to restrict weapons, and there is also international pressure, so Al-Sadr made the decision to relieve the embarrassment on the government, and to remove the threats of military strikes or sanctions against the country.”
He adds: “The United States has classifications regarding armed factions, and after al-Sadr’s decision, the messages were clearly conveyed regarding the Saraya and others and the decision to dissolve them.”
Regarding the possibility of a new armed formation linked to the movement emerging in the coming period, as was the custom previously where a formation was established after the dissolution of its predecessor, Al-Atwani says: “We cannot be certain, but the matter is related to the country’s circumstances, and just as the Saraya were dissolved due to the current circumstances, any new formation is related to what Iraq will go through.”
On Saturday, Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Ali Faleh al-Zaidi, received a delegation representing the leader of the Shiite National Movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, in the presence of the Deputy Commander of Joint Operations and the personal secretary, to discuss the mechanism for implementing al-Sadr’s initiative to have the Peace Brigades join the Iraqi security forces and hand over weapons to the state, and a committee was formed for this purpose.
The committee appointed by the leader of the National Current, Muqtada al-Sadr, regarding the disengagement of the Peace Brigades, announced Friday, that it held its first meeting to officially disengage the brigades.
A source within the coordination framework had revealed earlier today that the framework’s leaders would discuss the issues of restricting the weapons of the factions and the decision of the leader of the Shiite National Movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, regarding the “Peace Brigades” in a meeting during the coming days.
It is noted that a government source also revealed that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi will hold an extensive meeting with security leaders and armed factions that have announced the handover of their weapons to the state, in order to set mechanisms and a timeframe for integrating their members and dismantling their positions, in addition to discussing the “guarantees” that will be given to the factions.
On Wednesday, the leader of the Shiite national movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, announced the disassociation from the Peace Brigades and their integration into the state. The move was welcomed by the newly formed Iraqi government headed by Ali Faleh al-Zaidi.
Most of the current armed factions trace their roots back to after 2003, when armed formations emerged in connection with the security vacuum that followed the American invasion of Iraq, and then expanded significantly after ISIS invaded large Iraqi cities in 2014.
On the international front, the United States is intensifying its pressure on Baghdad, linking support for the Iraqi government to the removal of armed factions from state institutions.
Reports indicate that Washington is stipulating that armed factions cannot participate in the government unless they are disarmed, in addition to halting government funding for some formations, which further exacerbates the internal political situation.
shafaq.com
