Why Iraq’s militias will keep their weapons

On Sept. 30, the US is due to complete its final withdrawal from Iraq, more than two decades after its ill-fated invasion. With this will come a moment Baghdad has branded “sovereignty day.” It is the date on which the Iraqi state is supposed to hold a monopoly on all weapons within its borders. But if recent history is any indication, that landmark achievement will not happen. Not because the process is complicated but because Iran has decided it will not happen. One of the most ironic outcomes