Iraq expands weapons registration under state-control drive

BAGHDAD

Iraq is expanding a nationwide network of offices for registering and licensing firearms as part of a government drive to bring weapons under state control, a senior security official has said.

Lieutenant General Saad Maan, head of Iraq’s Security Media Cell, told the Iraqi News Agency that a security committee affiliated with the Interior Ministry was continuing to open registration offices across the country.

The program aims to place organized armed activity under official security and military institutions, regulate civilian firearm ownership, collect unlicensed weapons and combat illegal arms trafficking, Maan said.

He said the measures would improve public safety and strengthen confidence in the country’s security institutions.

Iraq had also recorded a marked decline in armed tribal violence, with such incidents nearly disappearing in some areas, Maan said.

He attributed the decline partly to the judiciary’s treatment of armed tribal attacks intended to intimidate residents as terrorism offenses.

Sabah al-Nu’man, spokesman for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, announced on June 3 that a committee had been formed to oversee efforts to bring weapons under state control and had begun its work.

The initiative is part of Baghdad’s efforts to strengthen domestic stability and limit the impact of regional tensions on the country.