Iraqi Faction Says Weapons Are Essential to Sovereignty, Questions US Withdrawal

By Staff, Agencies

Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada spokesperson Sheikh Kazem al-Fartousi said Thursday that weapons are tied to Iraqi sovereignty, arguing that they are necessary to defend the country and establish deterrence.

Al-Fartousi said the group had presented 10 points aimed at guaranteeing Iraqi sovereignty, stressing that the proposals were intended to serve Iraq’s interests rather than those of individual armed factions.

Addressing the US military presence, he said its continuation, alongside what he described as US influence over political decision-making, the economy and oil sales, constitutes a violation of Iraqi sovereignty.

He also said the presence of Turkish forces and armed members of Turkish Kurdish opposition groups in Iraq violates the country’s sovereignty.

Al-Fartousi expressed doubts over Washington’s plans to withdraw its forces, saying the US side had indicated that it needed additional time.

He claimed that large numbers of US troops had returned to the Ain al-Assad air base in Iraq approximately 10 days earlier.

The remarks come as Baghdad approaches the September 30 deadline for the conclusion of the remaining US-led Coalition mission, while discussions over the future of foreign forces and the status of armed factions’ weapons remain unresolved.

Recent discussions in Iraq have increasingly focused on bringing weapons under state authority, with some armed factions linking any future arrangements to what they describe as the restoration of full Iraqi sovereignty.

Al-Fartousi also warned Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi about what he described as “a street movement being prepared with US support to overthrow the government.” He did not provide further details or evidence for the claim.

The spokesperson’s remarks underscore the continuing dispute in Iraq over the presence of foreign forces and the status of weapons held by armed factions as Baghdad approaches the deadline for the end of the remaining Coalition mission.