Sheikh Al-Khazali: The weapons of the factions are disciplined and strategic and will not be submitted for surrender in light of the existing threats.

The General Secretary of the Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, His Eminence Sheikh Qais Khazali, confirmed on Sunday that talk about “dissolving the Popular Mobilization Forces” is nothing more than unrealistic wishes, noting that the armed factions had a major role in correcting the view of the Iraqi army and the Popular Mobilization Forces.
The sheikh said during a televised interview that the martyr leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis always stressed that the Popular Mobilization Forces should be honored, adding: “Before the Popular Mobilization Forces, it was said that the Iraqi army was a Safavid army, and after the Popular Mobilization Forces, it became described as sectarian, but with the blessing of the factions, the army became national, and the Popular Mobilization Forces also became more organized, even though the factions are not an official apparatus”.
Sheikh Al-Khazali pointed out that the issue of the factions’ weapons is constantly raised, asking: “Are the factions’ weapons loose? Are they used in internal problems or cause conflicts?” He stressed that the Popular Mobilization Forces and factions’ weapons are clear and disciplined and have never been used in any internal conflict.
His Eminence stressed that the weapons of the factions were used to defend Iraq when its sovereignty, unity, or territorial integrity were threatened, whether during the American occupation or during the ISIS invasion, and were also used to support the Palestinian cause and aid Gaza, considering that whoever objects to that is the one with the problem.
His Eminence stressed that the weapons of the factions have not and will not be used except in strategic issues in which Iraq is in real danger, saying: “We have an army, a federal police, a counter-terrorism apparatus, and a popular mobilization, and if these formations are able to confront the danger, then we are part of this system and support it, but if Iraq needs more, then the weapons will be there”.
Sheikh Khazali rejected calls to hand over the weapons of the factions, stressing that they have not been used since 2003 in any internal conflict or confrontation with the security services, adding: “Is it reasonable for us to hand over our weapons while we are facing continuous threats from Israel, Turkey and other countries in the region”?
His Eminence added that Iraq is still unable to protect its airspace and borders, pointing out that Israel and Turkey violate Iraqi airspace whenever they want, saying: “If the Iraqi state reaches the stage of possessing its full sovereign decision and a strong air defense system, then we can talk about handing over weapons”.
His Eminence also revealed that there are parties seeking to strip Iraq of its strategic weapons, stressing that the factions will not give up their weapons as long as complete security is not achieved for Iraq and its people, concluding his speech by saying: “The weapons of the factions will never be an internal problem, and they are 100% disciplined weapons, and all Iraqis may need them one day”.