At a Glance

• Maliki meets US chargé d'affaires
• Weapons control discussed
• Coordination Framework forms committee
• Focus on state security authority

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Nouri al-Maliki and US Chargé d'Affaires Joshua Harris have discussed efforts to place weapons under state control and strengthen Iraq’s constitutional institutions.

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Key Statements and Focus Area

• Nouri al-Maliki: “The state and its institutions are the primary authority” for security decisions.
• Weapons control: A specialized committee has been established to advance efforts to restrict weapons to state control.
• Government coordination: The committee will work with the Iraqi government to determine mechanisms for implementation.
• Joshua Harris: He praised Maliki’s role in supporting stability and strengthening political understandings in Iraq.

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Information obtained by Channel8 indicates that Maliki presented a new roadmap during his meeting with Harris aimed at ending the presence of weapons outside state control.

The proposal includes establishing a high-level committee tasked with ensuring that constitutional institutions remain the sole authorities responsible for security and military affairs.

Maliki said a specialized committee has already been formed within the Coordination Framework to work on restricting weapons to state control.

The committee is expected to begin its work soon and coordinate with the Iraqi government on mechanisms for implementing the weapons-control process.

Maliki said decisions concerning security should remain under the authority of the state and its institutions.

He also called for developing Iraq-US relations in a way that protects both countries’ interests while safeguarding Iraq’s sovereignty.

During the meeting, Joshua Harris praised Maliki’s political role in supporting stability and strengthening political understandings in Iraq.

Harris also expressed appreciation for Maliki’s positions in support of government efforts to reinforce state institutions and address national issues within the framework of the Strategic Framework Agreement between Iraq and the United States.

The latest initiative follows a meeting of the Coordination Framework at the residence of Ammar al-Hakim, where the issue of restricting weapons to state control was discussed as a national demand.

The discussions come as Iraq approaches the end of the International Coalition’s mission in the country and as political and security actors seek to consolidate security decisions under government authority.

FYI

The issue of weapons outside state control has remained a major political and security question in Iraq, particularly as the country moves toward a new phase in its relationship with the international coalition.

The latest discussions indicate renewed efforts within Iraq’s political leadership to place security and military decision-making under state institutions while addressing the future of armed groups and the country’s security arrangements.

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