Illustrative image. (U.S. Marine Corps)
The United States military Central Command (CENCOM) announced on January 21 that it had launched a new mission to transfer ISIS detainees from northeastern Syria to Iraq to “help ensure the terrorists remain in secure detention facilities.”
The announcement came amid a large-scale offensive by the Islamist-led Syrian government on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northeastern region of the country. Government forces captured most of the region in the last few days.
Some prisons hosting ISIS detainees were broken into, and at least dozens managed to escape from one facility in the town of al-Shaddadi in al-Haskah.
Government troops also took over a refugee camp near the town of al-Hawl in the same governorate, which hosts more than 25,000 people, most of whom are relatives of members of the terrorist group. It was allegedly that over a thousand escaped from there.
In its statement, CENTCOM said that the transfer mission began while U.S. forces successfully transported 150 ISIS fighters held at a detention facility in al-Hasakah, to a secure location in Iraq.
Ultimately, up to 7,000 ISIS detainees could be transferred from Syria to Iraqi-controlled facilities, according to the command.
“We are closely coordinating with regional partners, including the Iraqi government, and we sincerely appreciate their role in ensuring the enduring defeat of ISIS,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. “Facilitating the orderly and secure transfer of ISIS detainees is critical to preventing a breakout that would pose a direct threat to the United States and regional security.”
An official in the Syrian Foreign Ministry welcomed the announcement, telling Al-Jazeera that this step “is important for enhancing security and stability.”
“We reaffirm our commitment to providing all necessary logistical and security support to ensure the success of the operation,” the unnamed official said.
The announcement came amid a four-day ceasefire announced by the Syrian government a day earlier as a part of a wider understanding with the SDF that is meant to implement the merger agreement signed on January 18.
With many violations already reported by both sides, it is safe to assume that the main purpose of the ceasefire is to allow CENTCOM to transfer ISIS detainees to Iraq. Thus, fighting will likely resume once the ceasefire is over, unless some political breakthrough is achieved.
All in all, Washington’s decision to transfer ISIS detainees shows complete lack of trust in its new partners in the Syrian government.
This is not surprising, however, considering that government troops were responsible for letting many of the detainees out in recent days, and that many of the government’s senior officials, although not members of ISIS, have the same radical Islamist ideology.
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that means that the zealot army is prepared arm and supply logistics to at least 7000 troops. the actual number of prepared troops could be many times that amount in just iran. add in syria and the aircraft deployments. does this army exceed 100,000 ready troops.