Iraq's Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada sets 10 conditions for weapons handover

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq-based Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada and affiliated so-called "Islamic Resistance" factions have issued a 10-point declaration outlining conditions for any disarmament process, according to local media reports. The declaration includes a dissolution clause allowing the factions to resume use of their weapons if they deem it necessary, a provision critics say preserves unilateral discretion to delay disarmament and weakens legal binding force. It also calls for the dismantling of Peshmerga forces, which under Iraq's constitution are recognized as a regular, constitutionally protected force, a demand that excludes armed groups lacking such constitutional standing from the same framework. The document seeks official privileges under the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) law, including salaries, equipment and legal protections, while rejecting a provision tying the decision to use weapons to a unified chain of command under the commander-in-chief. It further links disarmament to long-unresolved issues, including the departure of foreign forces and regional files, framing weapons as a permanent bargaining tool rather than a time-limited obligation. Legal analysts cited in Iraqi media said the declaration raises constitutional questions, noting that an entity lacking constitutional authority has issued binding-style recommendations on the country's regional security structures. No response from the Iraqi government or prime minister's office was immediately reported.