The Vision Foundation for Strategic Studies held a special seminar today, Wednesday, May 6, 2026, on the proposed mandatory military service law in Iraq. The event brought together several militaries, legal, and academic experts who discussed various dimensions of the law and warned about the challenges surrounding its implementation.
Participants included retired Lieutenant General Jamal Suleiman, Dr. Mustafa Saray, head of the research department at Al-Bayan Center, legal expert Choman Mohammed, and Dr. Naba Ezzeddin, a professor at the University of Mosul. They addressed different aspects of the proposed legislation.
Speakers noted that efforts to implement compulsory military service are taking place at a time when the nature of wars and conflicts around the world has fundamentally changed. They emphasized that advances in technology and artificial intelligence have reduced the importance of large conventional ground forces and direct warfare. Therefore, building a massive ground army is no longer seen as necessary, especially while Iraq still lacks full capability to protect its airspace.
The seminar also highlighted that Iraq’s continuous wars over past decades have contributed to a more violent society, and that arming and training young people in weapon use could further increase levels of violence in the country.
Participants warned that implementing the law would place a heavy economic burden on the national budget and pension fund. They also cautioned that increasing military spending could reduce the Kurdistan Region’s share of the federal budget, which was described as a serious future risk.
From a legal perspective, the speakers stressed that the rights and authorities of the Kurdistan Region were not adequately considered in the draft law. They argued that if the law is implemented, the Kurdistan Region should have its own plan and framework to protect its constitutional and legal status and prevent violations of Kurdish youth rights.