Iraqi parliament passes bill to establish domestic arms manufacture authority

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Iraq’s parliament has approved a bill to create a domestic arms manufacturing authority to establish basic military self-sufficiency and better preserve its national security amid heightened regional tension.

Iraq’s parliament voted Monday to establish the “Military Industrial Authority” in the presence of 190 MPs, according to a parliament readout.

The contents of the bill were not disclosed by the readout. However, Iraqi media purportedly obtained a copy.

The bill was presented “due to the importance of military manufacture in establishing and achieving national security, supporting the national economy, making use of national expertise …  and to achieving national sovereignty,” according to the bill copy.

A “Military Industrial Coordination Committee” within the authority will comprise of members of Iraq’s Ministries of Defense and Interior, as well as the National Security Advisory, the Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces, PMF) Commission, and national intelligence agencies. Leadership of the Authority will be tied to the commander-in-chief of armed forces, Iraq’s Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi.

Domestic manufacturing will “support the national economy” of Iraq by lessening dependence on foreign imports of weapons, according to the copy.

The Authority will seek to establish “specialized factories” and an “advanced base for military manufacturing” in Iraq in a bid to “fill the needs” of Iraq’s armed forces and security forces.

Though the country is currently wholly dependent on the import of arms from the US and other countries, Iraq has had prior experience in the manufacture of light weaponry and the modification of Russian missiles.

The function of the Authority will “contribute to preserving national security and bolster national sovereignty,” the bill copy added.

Iraq is seeking to avoid being caught up in rising tension between the US and its Middle Eastern allies on the one hand and Iran on the other. Following a string of alleged Israeli airstrikes against Hashd al-Shaabi units, the country’s officials have said they are looking to the international military technology market to boost its air defenses.