The new bill, titled Serving the Flag, has been drafted by the Iraqi parliament’s security and defense committee and proposes assigning all Iraqi men between the ages of 18 to 35, with limited exceptions, to mandatory military duty, according to the deputy-chairman of the parliamentary committee Sagvan Sindi.
The length of the service differs based on the academic level of the recruited, Sindi added. The draft compels secondary school graduates to 18 months of military service, preparatory school graduates to 12 months, university and institute graduates to 9 months, master’s graduates to 6 months, and doctorate graduates to 3 months.
The draft has found support from Iraq’s parliamentary speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi, who stated that “proceeding with the legislation of the “Serving the Flag” law ensures the preparation of a generation of young people more capable of facing life’s difficulties, familiar with rights and duties, and motivated to preserve the state and its sovereignty, and contribute to strengthening the system of values, ethics, discipline and commitment to the national identity.”
However, the proposed bill has been met with strong reactions and heavy criticism from the Iraqi community on social media.
“I read the (Serving the Flag) draft, all it lacks is the phrase (God is great and let the unfortunate be inferior) in the conclusion,” Yaser A.Alhussein, an Iraqi researcher with a PhD in Political Science, said in a tweet.
Others have lauded the bill for the effect it would have on government employment and Iraq’s economy.
“The budget allocated to it can be used to develop infrastructure and build new roads - which belong to the army - and generate profits for it, invest in the development of armaments, training and the level of competence of the Iraqi soldier,” claimed researcher Lina Musawi.
In response to those praising the law for its economic benefits, some have argued that if the purpose of the bill is to minimize unemployment, allocating such a budget to larger projects that would better serve the Iraqi youth.
“The projects will give them sustainable opportunities, while the Serving the flag will give them temporary opportunities and return them to unemployment and the street when it ends,” tweeted Mohammed al-Amiri, a civil engineer.
Compulsory military service was abolished in Iraq in 2003 by the Coalition Provisional Authority directed by Paul Bremer, following the toppling of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s regime.
