The six pro-Iranian armed groups in Iraq, Saraya al-Shuhada, Karbala Brigades, Ansarullah al-Awfiya, the al-Nujaba Movement, the Asaib Ahl al-Haq Movement, and the Hezbollah Brigades, issued a joint statement in response to U.S. warnings calling on them to disarm and for the state to control all weapons.
In the statement, the armed groups listed their demands under four points, as follows:
– First, seriousness must be shown in providing services to the Iraqi people who have been victimized, and guarantees must be given to fight corruption and put an end to it.
– Laws that protect the dignity of the country and the Iraqi people, particularly the Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) law, must be approved.
– The presence of all foreign occupying forces on Iraqi territory must be ended, and their entry into Iraq must be prevented.
– The weapons we carry are sacred; in a country where occupiers are still present, these weapons are the guarantee of protecting sacred lands and sites.
The statement went on to say: “We reject all messages from foreigners regarding disarmament. We will also not negotiate with the Iraqi government on this matter. We will not lay down our arms until the country’s sovereignty is fully achieved, and it is freed from all forms of occupation and threats.”
U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Iraq, Mark Savaya, has recently issued several messages regarding armed groups in Iraq, calling for the disbandment of all armed groups and for weapons to remain solely in the hands of the state.
Savaya is expected to visit Iraq in January.