Head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, Sheikh Humam Hamoudi, says any attempt to foment strife among Iraqi Shia political factions is doomed to fail, emphasizing that the Coordination Framework, which is the largest bloc in the parliament, is gradually assuming official responsibilities through specialized committees.
“Certain individuals are seeking to stoke Shia-Shia tensions, purportedly in the name of protecting national interests. Such bids are indeed meant to undermine Shia political and social influence, and remove influential forces from their positions,” Sheikh Hamoudi said on Saturday.
He added, “Given the presence of the supreme religious authority, adherence to religious principles and our nation’s awareness of the true nature of this malicious conspiracy, any attempt to cause strife among Iraqi Shia factions is doomed to failure.”
Sheikh Hamoudi also said that Israel views Iraq as enemy, and therefore, all walks of Iraqi society must exercise utmost vigilance as the Tel Aviv regime is seeking to undermine the strength of regional countries, dampen their spirit of resistance, and strip them of their freedom and dignity.
He underlined the need to build powerful Iraqi military forces, which can safeguard the lives of the public, their interests and sovereignty, and strive to attain these paramount and sacred objectives free from any political influence or personal motives.
“There is no Shia rule in Iraq,” Sheikh Hamoudi said, emphasizing that the country is ruled by a consensual coalition government in which all political parties have a role.
Successive administrations in Iraq have vowed to bolster state power and to bring all weaponry under the jurisdiction of recognized institutions.
On August 11, the Iraqi prime minister directed officials to draft a bill to place weapons under exclusive state control.
Ali Al-Zaidi gave the instructions during his meeting in Baghdad with Khalid al-Obeidi, head of the Iraqi Parliament’s Security and Defense Committee.
Their meeting covered “the situation in the country and the efforts exerted by the various branches and formations of the security services to impose security and stability and protect the country’s borders and airspace against various threats,” the premier’s office said.
On June 3, Sabah al-Numan, the spokesperson for the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, declared the establishment of a committee aimed at restricting weapons to state control, affirming that the committee had commenced its operations.
While several Iraqi resistance groups, such as Saraya al-Salam, Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq and Kata’ib al-Imam Ali, have agreed to integrate into the state’s armed forces, Kata’ib Hezbollah has pledged to retain “resistance weapons” and further develop its arsenal.
