Al-Nahj Al-Watani Bloc Rejects "Mandatory Conscription," Calls for Enhancing Cyber Defense and Developing Weaponry Systems

 The Al-Nahj Al-Watani parliamentary bloc announced today, Wednesday, April 22, 2026, its categorical rejection of the proposed "National Service" law, calling for an immediate halt to its legislative procedures. Bloc leader Hassan Waryoush al-Asadi emphasized that the crisis in the military establishment does not lie in a shortage of personnel, but rather in the need to develop armament technologies, artificial intelligence, and combat cyber warfare. Al-Asadi warned of the significant financial burdens the law would impose on the general budget amidst current economic challenges and regional tensions, stressing the necessity of directing resources toward building a technically efficient professional army rather than traditional numerical expansion.