The debate over reinstating compulsory military service in Iraq has resurfaced, reflecting efforts to restructure the armed forces and address structural imbalances that have lingered since 2003, amid political divisions over the law's prospects and implications.
Speaker of Parliament Mohsen al-Halbousi, on Wednesday, 15 April, announced support of a proposed compulsory conscription law following what he described as "in-depth" discussions with Iraqi army leaders.
He said the proposal came after consultations with the heads of parliamentary blocs and members of parliament, framing it as a security and social necessity at this stage.
According to an official statement from the parliament presidency, "Al-Halbousi visited the Ministry of Defence, where he met Chief of Staff Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah and several senior officers."
"He was briefed on the challenges facing the military institution, particularly regarding the ages of volunteers, ways to enhance their capabilities, and the provision of a suitable environment to carry out their duties," the statement added.
The meetings, the statement said, included "extensive discussions on the need to reconsider compulsory military service as a strategic option to build a disciplined human base, strengthen army capabilities, and expand its social roles in reducing unemployment, absorbing youth energies, limiting negative phenomena, and reinforcing national belonging". Imbalance post-2003 The proposal is not new. Political forces, particularly Sunni groups, have previously attempted to pass the law in earlier years to achieve sectarian balance within the military.
However, those efforts were rejected by influential factions , most notably the Coordination Framework , which in 2022 argued that the law would impose significant financial burdens on the state and was not suited to current conditions. They worked to block its legislative progress. At the end of 2022, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani directed that the draft law be withdrawn from parliament and returned to the Council of Ministers, effectively freezing the file until its current reintroduction under different political and security dynamics.
Since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the abolition of compulsory service, the Iraqi army has faced challenges related to its composition.
There have been repeated accusations that sectarian or partisan criteria have shaped the institution, thereby weakening its national character.
The dominance of political parties over key parts of the military institution has also contributed to the creation of non-uniform loyalty structures.
This has negatively affected operational efficiency, evident during the Islamic State group's advance across several provinces in 2014, when the fragility of some military units became apparent alongside the rise of armed factions.
Politically, the Civil Current member Ali al-Shammari said the renewed push for the law represents a "serious attempt to restore balance within the military institution".
However, he told The New Arab that its passage "remains complex, given opposition from influential Shia forces that view the law as a direct threat to their influence within the army".
"These forces have built their influence within the institution on partisan and sectarian foundations over the years since 2003; hence, any law that restructures it on a professional national basis will clash with their interests," he added.
He stressed that any potential agreements "will not hold for long given the depth of overlapping political interests". The security factor A security expert said the adoption of a compulsory conscription law could mark a turning point in rebuilding the army on professional foundations. This would involve creating a balanced and neutral military institution in which loyalty is to the state rather than to parties or other actors.
Jaafar al-Fahdawi, a former army officer with the rank of major general, said, "The military institution has suffered since 2003 from multiple centres of influence and conflicting loyalties, affecting its operational efficiency."
He told The New Arab that "implementing compulsory service could help entrench discipline and reshape the army's national identity if carried out outside political quota systems."
Despite the momentum surrounding the proposal's reintroduction, its legislative path appears fraught with challenges.
This comes amid delicate political balances and conflicting interests between forces seeking to rebuild the military institution and others that see this as a threat to their existing influence.
This makes the conscription file a new test of the Iraqi political system 's ability to deliver structural reforms in the security sector. Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here .