Parliament drafting law to protect factions’ pay if they hand over weapons

BAGHDAD — Parliament is working on legislation to preserve armed factions’ rights, benefits and allowances if they place their weapons and equipment under state authority, and Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi will meet the factions opposing the policy, a lawmaker from his Reconstruction and Development Bloc said.

“We will enact a law that preserves their rights, benefits and allowances so that they bring their weapons and equipment under the framework of the state,” Mansour al-Ba’iji said in a televised interview. Restricting weapons to the state means bringing armed groups into official institutions — the Popular Mobilization Forces, the Interior Ministry or the Defense Ministry, he said.

“Things will not reach a confrontation between the armed factions and the Iraqi government, and everything is moving toward dialogue,” he said, adding that meetings had taken place in recent days and Coordination Framework leaders had intervened. He rejected the idea that Zaidi had retreated, describing the prime minister and the factions as brothers. “Understanding and dialogue are the basis, and their main condition is the withdrawal of U.S. forces to guarantee sovereignty.”

Zaidi said at the White House on July 14 that there would be no justification for any faction after Sept. 30. His security adviser Qasim al-Araji said Sunday that the date applies to the coalition’s withdrawal and marks the start of talks rather than a disarmament deadline.

Kataib Hezbollah security official Abu Mujahid al-Assaf accused the government of storming homes and terrorising families of dead and wounded fighters this month, and Nujaba warned of intra-Shia confrontation. Islamic Supreme Council president Humam Hammoudi said Saturday that attempts to start a war between Shia factions would fail. Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat al-Nujaba and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada have refused to disarm; Saraya al-Salam, Asaib Ahl al-Haq and the Imam Ali Battalions have moved to comply.