I am pleased to share my latest article with the
@GulfIntlForum .
In this article, I argue that Iraq's most powerful armed factions are undergoing a significant transformation. Rather than prioritizing military confrontation, many are increasingly focused on preserving political influence, institutional access, and long-term survival. Over the past decade, these groups have evolved from armed movements into influential political actors with deep roots in Iraq's state institutions.
This shift does not necessarily signal the end of these factions. Instead, it may represent their adaptation and reemergence through different mechanisms and pathways. Even if some groups formally integrate into state structures or place their weapons under government control, their political networks, institutional influence, and patronage systems are likely to remain intact.
The central question is no longer whether these factions will surrender their weapons, but whether the Iraqi state can absorb and regulate them before their influence becomes even more deeply entrenched.
Read the full article here:
gulfif.org/iraqs-armed-facti…
#Iraq #MiddleEast #SecurityStudies #IraqPolitics