Washington Warns: Disarmament or the 'Balkanization' of Iraq
Washington – Baghdad – Agencies: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirmed his country’s support for the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Obaidi in achieving its objectives of monopolizing weapons in the hands of the state. Rubio clarified in a press statement that “we have no doubt about the Iraqi prime minister’s commitment to monopolizing weapons,” stressing that “militias must be disarmed to prevent the ‘Balkanization’ of Iraq.” The term coined by the U.S. official refers to the division of the Balkan region, which experienced fighting in Yugoslavia during the 1990s, when the Yugoslav federation fragmented into several countries: Slovenia, Croatia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and Kosovo.
Rubio emphasized that the U.S. government insists on the necessity of “monopolizing weapons in the hands of the Iraqi state and exercising its full sovereignty over its territory.” This comes after the U.S. State Department issued an official statement confirming that Rubio met with Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Obaidi, during which both sides agreed on the importance of disarming armed factions and preventing attacks launched from Iraqi territory against neighboring countries.
Meanwhile, the website Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported, citing Iraqi sources described as well-informed, that there is convergence between Al-Obaidi and U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the issue of monopolizing weapons held by armed factions allied with Iran in Iraq, as well as the new timeline presented by Iraq. Trump met with Al-Obaidi on Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York.
The significance of the meeting lay not only in its content but also in the level of U.S. attendance, which included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who oversees sanctions targeting numerous individuals and entities in Iraq linked to Iran, and White House Chief of Staff Susan Rice. In contrast, Al-Obaidi attended without any members of the Iraqi delegation.
According to Iraqi government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi, the meeting between Al-Obaidi and Trump outlined clear contours for the next phase in Baghdad-Washington relations. In a statement to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), al-Aboudi noted that “the prime minister reiterated during the meeting the government’s resolve and consistent decision to unify security decision-making and monopolize weapons in the hands of the state, and to proceed with completing the prerequisites of sovereignty in accordance with the Constitution.”
A well-informed government source, who requested anonymity, stated that “Al-Obaidi affirmed his commitment to monopolizing weapons during the meeting, while Trump expressed his readiness to continue supporting Al-Obaidi’s efforts to conclude this file.” Al-Obaidi announced a timeline extending until June 30 of next year for the disarmament of armed factions.
