US envoy Tom Barrack and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi stressed the need to ensure the “complete disarmament and disbandment” of armed groups in the country as part of a “shared vision” for the new government in Baghdad.
In a statement issued on Tuesday as a follow up to the meeting held a day earlier, both sides said they had discussed “the shared aspirational vision for the Iraqi government to build a brighter future free from terrorism”. This includes the “complete disarmament and disbandment of all armed groups and formations operating outside the authority and control of the Iraqi state” and ensuring that they are brought under government control.
The disarming and reining in of Iran-aligned armed militia groups has been a major point of contention between Washington and Baghdad, even more so since the Iran war broke out on February 28. Groups linked to Tehran were accused of attacks on Gulf states as well as US assets and civilian infrastructure in Iraq, including the Kurdistan region.
Since assuming his new role in May, Mr Al Zaidi has enjoyed US support and has pledged to pursue armed non-state actors. US President Donald Trump personally congratulated him over the phone when he was appointed Prime Minister and invited him on an official visit to the White House.
This month, two prominent Iran-backed groups – Asaib Ahl Al Haq and Kataib Imam Ali – announced they would hand over their weapons to the Iraqi state. The move followed the same decision by Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr to place his Saraya Al Salam group's arms under state control.
Several armed factions, mainly Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba, have taken a different stance and linked disarmament to the presence of US and other foreign troops in Iraq.
Mr Barrack and Mr Al Zaidi also highlighted the importance of Baghdad asserting “full sovereignty in order to keep Iraq away from conflict and ensure that Iraqi territory cannot be used by any side to threaten regional peace”.
Iraq has been caught in the middle of the crossfire of US-Iran tension, being the only country to be struck by both sides. Baghdad came under heavy criticism after the UAE revealed an attack on its Barakah nuclear power plant last month had originated from Iraqi territory.
Mr Barrack began his first visit as US envoy to Syria and Iraq, as well as being ambassador to Turkey, on Monday. He is also set to visit the Kurdistan region on Tuesday for talks with Kurdish leaders.
