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Shafaq News- Baghdad<\/p>\n
Iraq\u2019s effort to bring all weapons under state control has
\nentered a more sensitive phase, with Washington increasing pressure on Baghdad
\nwhile several armed factions resist disarmament and others splinter into
\nsmaller groups, The Cradle said on Friday.<\/p>\n
The report said the dispute now extends beyond whether
\nfactions will surrender their weapons, touching on their future role, their
\nrelationship with the state, and the government\u2019s ability to prevent Iraqi
\nterritory from being used for attacks on neighboring countries or US forces and
\ninterests. Citing a source, The Cradle indicated that new cells have emerged
\nfrom members who left established factions over disagreements surrounding
\ndisarmament and adopted a more operational, less publicly identifiable
\nstructure.<\/p>\n
Some defectors also transferred military capabilities,
\nincluding drones, although it remains unclear whether missiles and targeting
\nsystems were among the weapons moved. According to The Cradle, such \u201cfront
\ngroups\u201d have operated in Iraq for years, allowing armed actors to preserve
\ntheir ability to launch attacks while obscuring responsibility and complicating
\npotential US retaliation.<\/p>\n
Baghdad now faces a difficult choice: enforcing disarmament
\nby force could trigger an internal confrontation with unpredictable
\nconsequences, while retreating from the policy would leave armed groups with
\ncapabilities outside state command. US pressure, it added, has also tied the
\nweapons file to broader questions over the future of relations between Baghdad
\nand Washington.<\/p>\n