Iraq’s paramilitary groups say they will disarm. Will that ever happen?

Article excerpt

Iraq's most powerful paramilitary factions, including those loyal to influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, have announced plans to disarm and integrate into state forces, a pledge that has been made and broken repeatedly over two decades. The announcement marks a potential shift in a country where armed groups outside government control have accumulated vast territory, weaponry, and political influence since the U.S. invasion toppled Saddam Hussein. Skepticism runs deep: previous disarmament promises evaporated as militias instead consolidated power, absorbed state salaries, and resisted accountability. The question haunting Iraq's political establishment is whether this time represents genuine transformation or another strategic repositioning by groups that have learned to thrive in chaos.