ISIS Families Enter Iraq Among Transferees from Hol Camp

Arab World

June 1st, 7:24am

Baghdad - Asharq Al-Awsat

Residents of al-Hol camp. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

A number of ISIS families entered back into Iraq among others transferred from al-Hol camp, in Syria’s al-Hasakah region, to al-Jada camp in Nineveh, following an agreement between Iraq and the United Nations Mission to Iraq. A security source in Nineveh reported that a convoy of 10 buses entered al-Jada camp, south of Mosul, where they were assigned to their respective tents. The source noted that a joint security committee from all state security agencies, including national security, intelligence, and military intelligence, has a complete database and list of names of each batch being transferred to determine which individuals belong to ISIS. A number of Nineveh lawmakers have expressed alarm over the consequences of transferring these large numbers of families to Iraq. Security agencies also fear the possibility that ISIS may resume its work by exploiting these families, especially children, to establish a third generation of terrorists. However, Nineveh Governor Najm al-Jubouri confirmed in a press conference that the batch that was transferred does not include ISIS relatives, but rather the families who migrated to Syrian territory because of the war and ended up in al-Hol. Security expert Fadel Abu Ragheef told Asharq Al-Awsat that the transfer has already taken place, stressing that the most important issue is that Iraq cannot alone manage al-Hol camp, not even part of it. Abu Ragheef described the camp as a "ticking time bomb" that threatens the entire world, as it includes more than 65,000 members of the ideologized ISIS families, who deeply believe in the terrorist organization’s extremist and radical views. The situation demands real international efforts to confront the repercussions, said the expert, calling for allocating sufficient funds and sheltering camps to those families. He also asserted that they should be referred to investigative committees, similar to what happened to the 1,600 detainees of Syria’s Baghouz camp, who were referred to the judiciary for sentencing. Former Yazidi MP Vian Dakhil told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Iraqi government, which previously ignored the tragedy of the Yazidi community in particular and Iraqis in general, agreed to a suspicious deal to bring back more than 3,000 members of ISIS families to Iraq. She explained that there are about 100 families who were transferred back to Iraq with official protection and housed in al-Jada camp. Dakhil pointed out that this action ignores the tragedies of Iraqis, especially the Yazidis, who suffered genocide, displacement and rape, and the authorities did not take any serious steps to compensate them. She rejected this “provocative step”, but acknowledged that some of these families may not be responsible for ISIS crimes against the Yazidis and Iraqis. Meanwhile, Iraqi intelligence arrested a group of Syrians trying to infiltrate Iraqi territory across the border. The Security Media Cell said in a statement, Monday, that based on accurate information of the Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism Division - in Nineveh, the units arrested a group of Syrians infiltrating across the Syrian-Iraqi border.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3002981/isis-families-enter-iraq-among-transferees-hol-camp