BAGHDAD (Dispatches) -- A senior commander of Iraq’s Harakat al-Nujaba movement has declared that American attempts to sow discord and destabilize Iraq have ended in failure, exposing the limits of Washington’s influence in the country.
In a statement, the resistance commander revealed that the “seditious efforts” of U.S. envoy Tom Barrack to foment internal divisions and undermine Iraqi sovereignty have been defeated. 
“Efforts by Tom Barrack, the U.S. envoy, to instigate internal strife, undermine Iraqi decision-making, and fabricate crises have been doomed to failure,” the commander said.
“Through the wisdom and unity of Iraqi leaders, the sinister plots of the arrogant powers to drag the country into internal conflict have been thwarted,” he added.
The remarks come as Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi pushes forward with a plan to disarm resistance groups by a September 30 deadline. The initiative has received strong backing from Washington, which has made the disarmament of resistance groups a condition for deepening security and economic cooperation with Baghdad.
Barrack, who was appointed U.S. special presidential envoy to Iraq and Syria in May, has been actively engaging with Iraqi leaders to advance the American dictates. 
Despite U.S. pressure, al-Zaidi’s push to disarm the militias has faced resistance from factions like Harakat al-Nujaba and Kata’ib Hezbollah, which refuse to lay down their arms while American forces remain in Iraq. 
The situation escalated recently when Iraqi security forces arrested Abbas Hussein al-Yaqubi, a senior intelligence official of the Nujaba movement, in the southern province of Dhi Qar, prompting threats of retaliation from the group.
The group continues to insist that its weapons are necessary to defend Iraq against U.S. “occupation” and safeguard the country’s sovereignty. Yaqubi has stressed that maintaining Iraq’s security and stability requires the unity of all Iraqis in the face of external interference.