At a Glance

• The Iraqi government is rushing a new 23-article anti-terrorism bill to replace outdated laws.
• The executive branch is demanding a final parliamentary vote on the legislation before a strict September 30 deadline.
• The draft text has been advanced directly to the Parliamentary committee for a specialized report following its first reading.
• The bill will officially criminalize and prosecute any independent armed operations outside formal state control.

The Iraqi government has intensified its legislative push to pass a new 23-article anti-terrorism bill before a September 30 deadline, advancing the text to the Security and Defense Committee as parliamentary blocs prepare their demands for the upcoming second reading.

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Key Statement and Focus Area

• Lawmaker Harem Kamal Agha stated that following the first reading, the text of the draft bill will be referred to the Security and Defense Committee so a specialized report can be prepared. 
• The Iraqi government prepared the draft bill and is insisting that it be voted on before September 30, alongside the Popular Mobilization Forces draft bill.

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The Council of Representatives earlier released the agenda for its next three sessions scheduled for this week, which will include the first reading of several draft bills, most notably the anti-terrorism, traffic, and securities laws.

Harem Kamal Agha, Head of the PUK Bloc in the Iraqi Parliament, told Channel8 that political parties, through their representatives within the committee, will work on the text and incorporate their demands into the draft. 

Agha stressed that “intense disputes” and the firm stances of the factions will become clearly evident during the second and third readings, revealing who supports it and who opposes it. 

He emphasized that in the event of objections, standard parliamentary procedure dictates that the specialized committee will initiate discussions with the opposing parties until a consensus text is reached.

FYI 

During its upcoming sessions, the Iraqi parliament is scheduled to swear in new lawmakers and hold initial readings for a raft of critical legislation spanning the security, agricultural, financial, and social sectors.

The executive branch is pushing the new anti-terrorism bill to immediately repeal the country’s existing counter-terrorism framework, replacing it with a modernized legal structure tailored to Iraq's current security phase. 

Functioning as the primary enforcement mechanism for the government's official disarmament timetable, the legislation establishes a strict September 30 deadline. 

Past this date, any individual or group conducting armed operations outside formal state control will be legally classified as outlaws and prosecuted under the new terrorism statutes.

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