Iraq must address armed faction dominance and heed UN warnings, says Jordanian analyst Sultan Al-Hattab

BAGHDAD — Jordanian writer and researcher Sultan Al-Hattab said that Iraq must act swiftly and strategically to avoid bearing the brunt of the crisis in Syria. Speaking on Al-Sharqiya TV’s “On the Edge,” Al-Hattab highlighted  the need for Iraq to reinvent its political and security structures to address internal and external pressures effectively.

Al-Hattab highlighted that Iraq faces mounting regional and internal pressures, compounded by the dominance of armed factions that have grown in influence rather than being absorbed into state structures.  Al-Hattab pointed out that Iran remains the primary target of international and UN rhetoric, being held responsible for many of the crises unfolding in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq.

Excerpts from Al-Hattab interview on Al-Sharqiya TV:

UN policy in Iraq is influenced by American policy, if not simply a reflection of it. We must consider the Syrian earthquake, the aftershocks of which are beginning to spread in the region. Iraq has its own experience with the United Nations, yet it has wasted much time without overcoming the residues left by the Syrian crisis.

There is dominance by armed factions, and instead of being absorbed into the Iraqi state, this dominance has grown stronger. These factions have formed protrusions on the body of Iraqi politics, adopting an aggressive posture as part of their participation with other resistance groups. However, what happened in Syria and Lebanon will inevitably reflect on Iraq, its factions, and their leaderships.

Iraq must pay attention to the messages from the United Nations, as they carry international weight. Just as Syria experienced transformations in its political system and state structure—eventually requesting the United States to rebuild its institutions—Iraq must also reinvent itself. This reinvention is necessary to eliminate the multiplicity of weapons.

Iran is the primary target of international and UN rhetoric, being blamed for the symptoms seen in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. As a result, a semblance of an Iranian withdrawal has begun, with shifts in rhetoric indicating a new understanding of these messages.

The Iraqi system—if it can be called a system, as a true system has specific characteristics—must pivot more quickly than Iran. The factions, being an inseparable arm of Iran, will be the slowest to adapt. Iraq must act swiftly to avoid losing its capabilities, a lesson that all regional states must heed to safeguard their strength in light of the changes stemming from Syria.

It is the Iraqi state, not the armed factions, that must end the American presence in the country. However, the Iraqi state’s vision is shaped by the parliament and factional representation, which means Iraq will inevitably bear the cost of the Syrian situation.

Iraqi politicians must recognize the necessity of leading Iraq into a healthy political life, one that is self-determined and free from narrow interests, factional agendas, and foreign dependencies. If they truly care about Iraq’s stability, they must act now, as the country risks severe instability if they continue ignoring the imperatives of change.