Al-Maliki introduces a fourth term in the weapons file... "Containment is better than disarmament"
Nouri al-Maliki, head of Iraq’s “State of Law” Coalition, considered that the most appropriate term regarding the weapons file is “containment,” noting that the term “disarmament” is not used because being “disarmed” carries significant psychological implications.
In a televised interview on Wednesday evening, al-Maliki stated that “the prevailing language of challenge, threat, and intimidation has ended, because threats yield no results, and calls for conflict, attacks on headquarters, and attacks on the government are counterproductive. The government is not weak enough to be attacked, nor is it in the interest of the factions to be targeted.”
He pointed out that “these are the first facts that have emerged, opening the door and creating space for us and other stakeholders concerned with national affairs and internal stability to seek an opportunity for discussion and dialogue, leading to a formula for resolving the crisis without exposing us to confrontation.”
He emphasized that “the term ‘disarmament’ is not used, as the other party might view themselves as ‘disarmed,’ which has both psychological and practical repercussions.” He affirmed that “the best term is regulating or containing weapons, and we are seeking a way to contain them.”
Al-Maliki added that “there is a distinction between heavy, medium, and light weapons. One of the issues under discussion is whether preserving or containing weapons applies to everything, or only to specific types of weapons considered capable of targeting internal and external threats. This will be resolved by the committee formed with the factions.”
Over the past period, several terms and phrases have emerged regarding the weapons file, including three prominent designations: “disarmament” initially, followed by “stockpiling” a few weeks ago, and leading up to “regulating weapons” in recent days. Al-Maliki has now added a fourth designation: “containment.”
Meanwhile, waves of criticism continued against Hadi al-Amiri, head of the “Badr” Organization, following statements in which he admitted that what he called “the resistance” was involved in the events accompanying the “October 2019 movement,” which lasted for about two years and resulted in the deaths of approximately 600 protesters and injuries to more than 20,000 others.
He called on international organizations, the United Nations, and the International Criminal Court to “follow up on the file to ensure that those implicated in violation crimes are not allowed to escape accountability and justice.”
Many families of protest victims also announced their intention to file lawsuits against al-Amiri. Last Monday, he stated that “the resistance bravely stood against the ‘October fitna’ and preserved the state and the political system,” a remark that most activists and observers considered an “explicit admission of the involvement of armed factions in the blood of protesters and demonstrators.”
On the security front, the Karrah Criminal Court issued a 15-year prison sentence for three individuals convicted of targeting the K1 military base in Kirkuk province with Katyusha rockets, some of which landed near the headquarters of the Counter-Terrorism Service and the French unit of the International Coalition forces.
