Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 1325 Another War in the Council Chamber

The grandeur of the parliament hall contrasts sharply with its dilapidated state.

The towering dome retains a golden mosaic depicting a mythological scene from ancient Mesopotamia, but there is a large patch of repair marks on the left side, with colors that are clearly mismatched.

The 328 dark red velvet seats are arranged in a semi-circle, and most of them are already occupied.

The air was filled with the unique dry smell of the air conditioner, mixed with men's cologne, sweat, and the ink smell of paper.

Samir was led to the podium.

The spotlight shone on him, and the temperature rose noticeably.

He could clearly see the various faces below.

Among them are the red and white checkered headscarves characteristic of the Khords, the black robes of Shia elders from the south, the custom-made suits of Sunni merchants, and the traditional clothing of representatives of the Turkmen and Yazidi minorities.

Many people were whispering and talking amongst themselves.

People's eyes would occasionally glance at him, a mixture of assessment, curiosity, and hostility swirling beneath the surface.

The speaker struck the gavel.

"The 147th plenary session of Parliament is now beginning. The first item on the agenda today is: to hear a report from Samir, commander of the Liberation Forces, on the security situation in the northwest, and to conduct preliminary questioning on Defense Proposal No. 44—regarding the incorporation of the Liberation Forces into the Iligo Armed Forces."

The applause was sparse and mostly perfunctory.

Samir adjusted the microphone, the metallic scraping producing a piercing echo.

"Your Excellency Speaker and fellow members, I am Samir Hussein Fadil, commander of the 'Liberation Forces'."

His voice echoed in the hall, lacking the roar of a warrior, sounding somewhat weak.

He cleared his throat, forcing himself to look straight ahead instead of looking down at his notes.

"Over the past three years, my fighters and I have fought against the 1515 militants in the deserts of Anbar province, on the streets of Mosul, and in the mountains of Sinjar. We lost 2782 brothers whose names are etched in our hearts. In return, we achieved the liberation of Mosul, Baiji, and Hurmatu, allowing at least 250,000 civilians to return to their homes."

He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping downwards.

In the Shia area, some nodded; in the Koldi area, there was silence; and in the Sunni area, expressions were complex.

"Today, we control most of the area around Mosul, Baiji, and Hurmatu. We are on duty at checkpoints, patrolling the border, and clearing explosives from the ruins. But we lack medicine, fuel, and heavy weapons, and our soldiers are not receiving any allowances. The remnants of 1515 are regrouping; they have crossed the Sirian border and are training new recruits in desert outposts. Without the support of a regular army, we will not be able to hold onto the liberated lands in the future."

Samir gripped the edge of the podium tightly, his palms slick with sweat.

“I stand here not as a politician, but as a soldier. I request Parliament to approve the proposal to incorporate the ‘Liberation Forces’ into the National Defense Forces, so that we can rightfully defend this country and receive the supplies and support we deserve. The situation in the Northwest remains dangerous. Although the 1515 militants have been temporarily repelled and withdrawn to Titrick, they are like scorpions in the desert, ready to emerge from the sand at any time and sting this country and its people again.”

Following Song Heping's instructions, he did not mention any specific political factions, but only talked about military needs and national interests.

The speech was brief and powerful, but the applause was still sparse at the end.

The majority of the parliamentarians were from Shia groups, and about seventy or eighty people stood up and applauded.

In the Kold's area, only two or three people clapped symbolically, while the rest watched coldly.

The applause in the Sunni area was polite and brief, as if completing some kind of ritualistic procedure.

The speaker routinely thanked the speakers and announced the start of the questioning session.

The first person to raise his hand was indeed Serko Bakr, a middle-aged man with gray hair and sharp eyes, who was a member of the Democratic Party of Koldestan.

"Commander, you mentioned incorporating your troops into the National Defense Forces, but according to Article 117 of the Constitution, the Koldestan region has its own security forces (Peshmerga). If your troops become part of the National Defense Forces, does that mean they might be able to carry out missions in the Koldestan region? Doesn't this violate the autonomy granted to us by the Constitution?"

The questions were sharp and professional, directly addressing the core contradictions.

Samir responded with a pre-prepared answer:
"The actions of the National Defense Forces in the autonomous region must be coordinated with the local government, which is an existing procedure. If the 'Liberation Forces' are reorganized, they will strictly adhere to this procedure."

"But existing procedures are often ignored!"

Another Koldes MP stood up and shouted, representing the Patriotic Union, "In 2011, the Wehrmacht withdrew from Kirkuk without coordination, leaving our land to 1515. We reclaimed Kirkuk with our own blood! Last year in Sinjar, the Wehrmacht's shelling accidentally injured civilians, and there was no coordination whatsoever! How can you guarantee that your troops will not become tools for Baghdad's intervention in Koldestan?"

Samir took a deep breath and tried to remain calm:
"We're only concerned with the counterterrorism mission—" "Counterterrorism mission?"

The third member of parliament, Kold, a young representative of the "Movement for Change" organization, interrupted him directly and rudely.

"Commander, let's be frank. If you control the northwest and become a regular army, where will Koldestan be? To our north are the Turks, to our east the Persians, to our west the chaos of Syria, and to our south—your sphere of influence. At that point, the Koldest Autonomous Region will be a completely surrounded island, and any political demands will lose their bargaining power. This isn't a counter-terrorism issue; it's a geopolitical survival issue!"

This statement reveals the true fear of the Kolds.

A commotion broke out in the hall, with impolite whispers rising from all sides.

In the Sunni area, several elders exchanged glances, clearly aware of the same problem.

Samir's rise not only affects the Kold, but if he grows stronger in the future, it will also change the power balance within Irigo and may affect his own interests.

"Silence! Silence!" The Speaker struck his gavel. "Please ask questions related to the proposal itself!"

A Sunni member of parliament seized the opportunity to stand up:

"Commander, what is the percentage of Shiites in your troops? If the reorganization is carried out, will it affect the sectarian balance of the army?"

Another sensitive issue. Samir felt sweat trickling down his spine, soaking through his camouflage uniform.

“We recruit all Iligos who are willing to fight against 1515 extremist groups, regardless of sect. Currently, Shiites make up about 70% of the force, Sunnis 20%, and the rest are other minority groups.”

"70%!" The congressman spread his hands dramatically. "And the Shia population already exceeds 60% in the existing armed forces! If your forces are added, the army will become a tool of a single sect!"

"We are fighting terrorists, not conducting sectarian demographics!"

A Shiite member of parliament couldn't help but angrily retort.

The argument escalated.

The speaker struck the gavel forcefully, but with little effect.

The Khordish, Sunni, and Shia parliamentarians accused each other, with some bringing up the 2015 budget allocation issues, others mentioning the ownership of Kirkuk oil revenues, and still others even bringing up the responsibility for the fall of Mosul.

Samir's proposal's initial inquiry process became the spark that ignited long-standing grievances.

The questioning lasted forty minutes, but ended abruptly after the speaker threatened to adjourn the session early.

When Samir stepped down from the podium, his combat T-shirt underneath his camouflage uniform was completely soaked.

Yusuf came forward, his face solemn as if at a funeral.

“Worse than expected! Damn it!” he muttered under his breath, then handed over a bottle of water. “The Kolds are united in their opposition, and the Sunni ‘National Power Alliance’ just held a short meeting in the corridor to confirm their opposition. Fortunately, this is only a preliminary inquiry, not a final decision, otherwise the proposal would likely not pass.”

"When will the vote take place?" Samir asked in a hoarse voice.

"It could take as little as 7 days, or as long as a month."

Yusuf wiped his sweat.

"It seems we need a miracle."

Samir turned to look for Song Heping, only to remember that he was waiting outside the parliament.

A sense of powerlessness gripped him.

On the battlefield, the enemy is clear.
The goal is clear.

Here, the enemy is everywhere yet nowhere to be found; you want to find your target, but the target is shrouded in layers of mist.

Samir felt a sense of powerlessness.

Here, in this political battlefield, you can't even find out who your enemy is...

　Second update!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)