Iraq avoids discussing arms control, and Syria receives new ambassadors amid a security campaign in Aleppo

The “State Administration Coalition,” which represents the Shiite, Sunni, and Kurdish components in Iraq, ignored the issue of “arms control,” and warned of the potential repercussions on Iraq as a result of the US sanctions imposed on Iran, without naming them explicitly.

The "coalition" held a meeting in the late hours of Saturday-Sunday night at the government palace, at the request of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. He called, in a statement, for “the completion of the government formation and the draft oil and gas law,” and described the Iraqi financial situation as “difficult,” noting that the country is going through a circumstance that “cannot bear any risk.”

An informed source told Asharq Al-Awsat that ignoring the issue of “weapon control” reflects “the extent of the political differences between the parties (of the state administration), especially the forces of the (Shiite framework).”

The source explained, “In light of these differences within the Shiite forces, the space in which the Kurds and Sunnis can move remains limited, as long as some issues appear thorny and interconnected, especially at the level of ministerial positions and the issue of arms control.”

Asharq Al-Awsat followed the extensive security campaign in Aleppo yesterday, for the third day in a row, to pursue former leaders and members of the former regime accused of war crimes.

This is the second campaign of this kind that the city of Aleppo witnessed during the current year, and resulted in the arrest of a number of officers of the ousted regime, most notably Brigadier General Pilot Hamada Ali Murad in the town of Nubl, and included a network of members of the regime and allied militias known as remnants and shabiha.

Sources in the Internal Security Directorate in Aleppo confirmed that the current total number of detainees exceeded 50 people, including officers, members and informants of the ousted regime, who were arrested in different areas of the city, in addition to towns in its northern countryside such as Nubl and Al-Zahraa.

The sources explained that the move came after an extensive study of the targets, monitoring their activities, and collecting evidence of their involvement in widespread crimes and violations against civilians, and the personal charges and allegations against them, which included war crimes, intimidation, extortion, and robbery.

Today (Sunday), President Ahmed Al-Sharaa accepted the credentials of seven ambassadors to the Syrian Arab Republic, during an official ceremony held at the People’s Palace in Damascus, in the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Asaad Al-Shaibani.

The credentials included the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ghazi Al-Anazi, the Ambassador of the Vatican, “Apostolic Nuncio,” Bishop Luigi Roberto Cunha, the Ambassador of the European Union, Michael Onmacht, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Brazil, Eduardo Barboza, the Ambassador of the Republic of Greece, Emmanuel Kakavelakis, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden, Jessica Svardström, and the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark, Frey Jackson.

President Al-Sharaa welcomed the ambassadors, wishing them success in performing their duties and contributing to strengthening cooperative relations with the countries and entities they represent.

The appointed ambassadors presented copies of their credentials to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani, last Thursday.

It should be noted that the ambassadors of the United States of America and the United Kingdom have not yet been appointed, and the same applies to the ambassadors of Syria to the two countries.