New deputy speaker warns disarmament delay risks Iraq’s stability

BAGHDAD — Deputy Speaker of Parliament Farhad Atroshi warned that failure by armed factions to respond to disarmament efforts could have serious consequences for Iraq, calling on political leaders to recognize what he described as growing regional dangers.

“I call on political leaders to recognize the danger threatening Iraq and to carefully read the regional situation, because the country cannot withstand any economic or military blow,” Atroshi said in an interview with Alsumaria TV.

Atroshi, a Kurdistan Democratic Party politician and former governor of Duhok, said refusal by armed groups to engage in disarmament would be disastrous. “If the forces, meaning the armed factions, do not respond to the disarmament process, this would be ‘suicide’ for them and for the country,” he said. “The current international system, led by the United States, will not accept this form of governance in which such weapons exist, and everyone must understand the regional reality.”

The comments come as debate over disarmament intensifies, with the Iraqi Resistance Coordination Committee saying it rejects any discussion of giving up weapons until what it described as full national sovereignty is achieved and foreign presence ends, calling its arms “sacred.”

The issue has drawn responses from Iraqi officials and international actors, with Supreme Judicial Council President Faiq Zidan saying armed faction leaders agreed to cooperate on restricting weapons to the state, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani calling the policy an Iraqi decision tied to sovereignty, and U.S. Special Envoy Mark Savaya warning that weapons outside state control threaten stability and economic growth.

Some excerpts from Atroshi’s interview on Alsumaria TV:

I call on political leaders to recognize the danger threatening Iraq and to carefully read the regional situation, because the country cannot withstand any economic or military blow.

If the forces, meaning the armed factions, do not respond to the disarmament process, this would be “suicide” for them and for the country. The current international system, led by the United States, will not accept this form of governance in which such weapons exist, and everyone must understand the regional reality.

The 2010 parliamentary term included all first-generation political leaders, and managing the legislative authority was far easier than it is today, both for lawmakers and for the presidency, because the political leadership was already present within parliament.

Trust among Iraqi leaders was greater at the time. When they met and agreed on a specific matter, it was implemented. This contrasts with what happens today, where agreements reached with Baghdad are overturned after days or even hours.

The Kurdistan Democratic Party does not need any position, and this is one of the core principles emphasized by the party’s leadership. We do not have a problem with positions, but we do have a problem with mindset. If there is an exclusionary approach or political forces in Iraq seeking to marginalize the Kurdish majority represented by the Kurdistan Democratic Party, this is a dangerous issue and a deeply troubling culture.