Iraq has legalized the buying, selling, and possession of handguns and semi-automatic rifles. Since the end of the Hussein regime in 2003, the country’s illegal weapons market has been saturated with looted guns from police stations and military bases. Buyers ranged from jihadists to citizens seeking self-defense in a lawless environment. The latest law seeks to curb the illegal market and introduce government oversight through regulation, where authorization and identity cards will connect individuals to owned weapons. 

Source: Baghdad gun shops thrive after Iraqi rethink on arms control | Reuters