Al-Zaidi: Iraq will not be a station for harming others
Prime Minister Ali Al-Allaq reiterated that “Iraq will not serve as a station to harm others,” emphasizing that “the government is committed to building a fully sovereign Iraq where the people have all the reasons for respect, security, and the preservation of their wealth and the future of their generations.”
Speaking during a ceremony commemorating the birth of the Prophet Muhammad on Monday, Al-Allaq stated, “Iraqis will declare the completion of their sovereignty over the entire Iraqi territory on September 30 next.”
He added that “the region is living under continuous tensions that have caused divisions among countries,” clarifying that “his government’s program includes a clear approach to construction, reform, fighting corruption, enhancing a productive work environment, and ensuring the building of security institutions operating under the umbrella of the Constitution.”
Al-Allaq has repeatedly emphasized his commitment to the principles of fighting corruption and accountability, as well as restricting weapons to the state and avoiding involvement in regional and international axes, since assuming office.
On another note, Al-Allaq stressed the importance of transitioning toward multi-directional relations with coalition countries, while praising Germany’s ongoing role over the years in helping Iraq in its war against terrorism.
The media office of the Prime Minister said in a statement that Al-Allaq discussed with Gunter Schneider, commander of German forces deployed abroad, ways to strengthen and develop relations in military and security fields, reiterating “the importance of transitioning toward multi-directional relations with coalition countries.”
During a meeting with Dmitry Shugaev, head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation of Russia, Al-Allaq affirmed his government’s pursuit of developing cooperation channels with Moscow in all fields and sectors.
For his part, Qasim al-Araj, the Prime Minister’s security advisor, announced that September 30 does not mark the end of the deadline set for Iraqi groups close to Iran to hand over their weapons to the state, contrary to what officials had been repeating for months without providing an explanation.
In an interview with the official “Al-Iraqiya” channel on Sunday evening, he said, “September 30 is the date of the departure of the international coalition, not the end of the deadline for handing over weapons.”
He added that after this date, “the gradual process of restricting weapons in the hands of the state will begin.”
This came after government spokesperson Haider al-Abudi confirmed on Friday that September 30 “is the deadline for the end of the presence of international coalition forces, not a deadline for armed factions,” adding, “Perhaps some are confusing the two.”
A government source told “Agence France-Presse” that “the situation is extremely complex,” explaining that “there is government insistence on closing the weapons file, while there is insistence from faction leaders to retain weapons because they believe that disarming them serves Israel and the United States.”
A second Iraqi source told “Agence France-Presse” that “Iran views its arms in the region, particularly in Iraq, as a strength it refuses to give up.”
Judicially, authorities continued their campaign to prosecute those accused of corruption and bribery. Security forces arrested Sura Ala Hussein, director of the legal department at the Investment Commission, on corruption charges, according to the “Waa’ News Agency.”
In a separate case, the Federal Integrity Commission announced a verdict in absentia sentencing the general manager of the Middle Euphrates Electricity Production Company and one of its employees to six years in prison and a fine of 10 million Iraqi dinars, after convicting them of accepting a bribe to release financial dues owed to a company.
