Source: Dissolution of Iraq's Joint Operations Command

Shafaq News-Baghdad

Iraq hasabolished the Joint Operations Command (JOC) and folded its functions into theOffice of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, a security source toldShafaq News on Wednesday.

The sourcedid not saywhether the decision extends to the operations commands deployed across the Iraqi provinces or is limited to abolishing the central headquartersand transferring its powers and files to the Commander-in-Chief's office. Thefate of the leaders and formations attached to the command also remainsunclear.

Earlier this week, GeneralAbdul Amir al-Shammari, the former interior minister, was appointed as directorof the Office of the Commander-in-Chief by Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, whoalso serves as Commander-in-Chief. Al-Shammari's remit covers coordination anddirection among Iraq's security agencies and formations.

About JOC

Iraq createdthe Joint Operations Command in 2007, at the height of armed operations byal-Qaeda and rising violence in the country, to unify the management ofoperations and coordinate between the Defense and Interior ministries and othersecurity agencies under the direct supervision of the Commander-in-Chief. Thecommand later played a central role in directing military and securityoperations, most prominently during the war against the ISIS group, and incoordinating security plans between federal forces and the provincialoperations commands. ...