After more than a decade, the US-led coalition is ending its mission in Iraq, having helped save the country from jihadists while causing persistent friction.
The Iraqi government believes the coalition’s withdrawal removes the excuse powerful Tehran-backed militant factions have used to retain their weapons.
The Iraqi government believes the coalition’s withdrawal removes the excuse powerful Tehran-backed militant factions have used to retain their weapons. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi declared that October 1, the day following the coalition’s departure, should be celebrated as Sovereignty Day.
It is “a national occasion that affirms the completion of Iraq’s path toward sovereignty and consolidates the presence of the state and its institutions”, the heads of the executive, legislative and judicial branches said on Monday. They added that “the presence of weapons outside state authority must be addressed… in line with timelines set by the government, in a manner that strengthens state sovereignty”. His government initially set September 30 as the deadline for factions to disarm, but later withdrew the time limit as talks continued to “regulate” weapons — an issue that has fuelled tensions and is expected to take much longer to resolve. The powerful Kataeb Hezbollah group said in a statement Monday that the withdrawal of “the occupation forces… is a start towards achieving full sovereignty”. “A government that doesn’t work for the good of its people will be brought down by all possible means,” it said.
