In this episode of Unfinished Stories, Rudaw's Hevidar Ahmed investigates one of Iraq's most sensitive and controversial issues: the future of Iraqi armed resistance factions and the Iraqi government's efforts to place all weapons under state control.
In his interviews with leaders of various Iraqi military factions, Ahmed explores the growing debate over whether Iraq's powerful armed groups will accept integration into the state’s security apparatus or continue operating as forces outside government authority.
The Iraqi government has clarified its stance that weapons must exclusively be in the hands of the state, which it views as a necessary step toward strengthening national sovereignty.
This issue remains deeply divisive among Iraq's resistance factions.
Groups such as Kataib Hezbollah and Kata'ib Sayyid al Shuhada, Iran-backed Shiite paramilitary groups in Iraq designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, reject disarmament, arguing that the demand is an American imposed decision and that their weapons remain a sacred commitment.
Others, such as Asaib Ahl al Haq, an Iraqi Shia Islamist paramilitary organization associated with Iran but maintaining a degree of independence, support the integration of their armed forces into the state.
Hussein Shehani, a member of the movement's political bureau, told Rudaw that consolidating weapons under government authority is essential for completing Iraq's sovereignty and building a stronger state.
“The first step in establishing Iraq's sovereignty is the consolidation of weapons in the hands of the state. By this, we mean that the decision to use weapons should be entirely in the hands of the government,” Shehani said.
Meanwhile, Abu Turab, a senior commander in the Badr forces, another Iran-backed group, who now serves as a member of the Iraqi parliament, told Rudaw that "anything related to blood and sacrifice cannot be ended,” referring to his beliefs on ending the era of factions.
The episode also highlights public frustrations with Iraq's domestic challenges, such as property disputes among farmers and unemployment among university graduates, which compete with the government’s attention to international demands regarding armed groups.
The United States has repeatedly stressed the importance of limiting weapons to state institutions, while Iraqi officials argue that the process is solely a sovereign Iraqi decision.
Sabah Numan, spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, told Rudaw that “the security decision is a central decision and is in the hands of the state. There is no authority for weapons outside the hands of the state. We will close this case in a very short period, Inshallah."
In the episode, Ahmad sends a letter to the US Central Command (CENTCOM) asking their position regarding disarmament of factions and the timetable of complete withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, and receives a reply.
Ahmed's investigation reveals competing visions for Iraq's future.
While some factions seek to transform armed movements into political actors within the state, others maintain that resistance forces must remain active as long as foreign military presence operates in the country.
“The factions may not be the same as before, but they have not ended,” Ahmed concluded the episode.
