Sunday, 1 November 2026

Separately, Iraq’s Article 140 committee ordered Nineveh authorities to refer administrative measures that could change the population makeup of disputed areas for its review before acting. Its letter, signed by committee chairman Hadi al-Amiri, identifies Sinjar among areas whose constitutional status remains unresolved. It declares measures conflicting with the committee’s procedures and causing demographic change invalid. The directive follows the Sinjar Resistance Units’ agreement on 26 October to end their independent military status and join federal security forces. Federal and Kurdistan Regional authorities also plan to exhume 18 ISIS-era mass graves in Sinjar, according to an official quoted by Rudaw. Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani called Sunday for expanded psychological rehabilitation for survivors of ISIS atrocities and forced displacement, pledging support for efforts to address Yazidi concerns in Sinjar and elsewhere.

On the Popular Mobilization Forces bill, Israa al-Hujaimi (AAH — Sadiqoun member) criticised MPs who had not signed a request to put it on parliament’s agenda, speaking Saturday on Al-Ahad TV (AAH — official). Sadiqoun had formally written to parliament’s presidency Thursday seeking the bill’s fate, after cabinet approval on 29 September. Legal adviser Saad al-Bakhati attributed the delay to disagreements on the same channel Sunday. Wafa Muhammad (KDP — member) separately advocated bringing armed factions under state authority and organizing the PMF within the Iraqi Army under military laws applicable to other armed-service branches. He cited his party’s security concerns over repeated drone and missile attacks on the Kurdistan Region by some factions. His proposal is a party member’s position, not an announced government measure to integrate the PMF into the army.

Israa al-Hujaimi (AAH — Sadiqoun member) criticised MPs who had not signed a request to put the PMF bill on parliament’s agenda, speaking on Al-Ahad TV (AAH — official) on Saturday. This followed Sadiqoun’s formal letter to parliament’s presidency on Thursday seeking the bill’s fate. Al-Hujaimi blamed the PMF chairman’s retirement age for obstructing passage. National Tribal Current political-body head Abdulrahman al-Jazairi alleged that four to five provisions had been deleted and that Kurdish and Sunni MPs had secured al-Muhandis Company’s removal from the text. He described Sadiqoun and Badr as the strongest advocates of passage. On the same channel on Sunday, legal adviser Saad al-Bakhati attributed the delay to disagreements. Political analyst Dawood al-Halfi also argued that Washington viewed strengthening the PMF through legislation as a threat to Israel.

In Maysan, truck drivers renewed protests outside the governorate building, according to Al-Ghadeer TV (Badr Organization — official) and Al-Nujaba TV (Nujaba — official). iNEWS (KSS — affiliated) described their demand as Shib’s reopening, after Baghdad closed the crossing with Iran on 20 October. FAA (Ansar Allah al-Awfiya — official) carried Maysan council reconstruction, housing and planning committee chair Ali al-Zaidawi’s statement that hundreds of families depended on the crossing as their sole livelihood, including vegetable traders, truck drivers and exchange-yard workers. Sabereen News (KH — affiliated) carried a truck driver’s appeal for official intervention over stopped work, rising living costs and difficulty supporting families. Al-Nujaba TV went beyond those livelihood complaints, blaming Washington for choking trade and describing Shib’s closure as an economic siege.

Separately, Shabab al-Islam (Ashab al-Kahf — owned) and Al-Ittijah TV (KH — official) published matching allegations on Saturday that aircraft operating from bases in Jordan and Turkey violated Iraqi airspace on 30 October. Both listed 14 MQ-9s, two E-11s, four MQ-1s, one KC-130 and one KC-135. Their matching accounts establish shared circulation of the allegation, not independent confirmation of the flights. Al-Ittijah also relayed Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s directive for immediate, effective responses to threats without geographical restrictions. Shabab al-Islam added that some interpreted this as encompassing European countries assisting the United States, placing Britain first. Al-Ahad TV presented Khamenei’s orders as Iranian deterrence.

In Nineveh, political analyst Muhammad Khalid urged expanding AAH secretary-general Qais al-Khazali’s initiative for displaced people from Sinjar to displaced families from all the province’s villages, speaking on Al-Ahad TV on Saturday. He praised reported family returns to four villages in Rabia. He also called for government intervention to facilitate returns. Separately, Iraq’s Article 140 committee directed Nineveh authorities to refer administrative measures that could change the population makeup of disputed areas to the committee before taking them. The letter, signed by committee chairman Hadi al-Amiri, identified Sinjar among the areas whose constitutional status remains unresolved and declared measures conflicting with its procedures and causing demographic change invalid.