The United States backed Kurdish authorities holding Islamic State militants has warned on Monday that hundreds of foreign Islamic militants who were held in the custody inside Syria pose threat as a “time bomb” for the world as well as region.
According to Al-Jazeera news reports, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) chair of foreign relations, Abdulkarim Omar has said on Monday that world powers need to increase their efforts to prosecute Islamic State of the Levant and Iraq (ISIS, ISIL) detainees and further rehabilitate their families, otherwise, the detained militants could escape and could threaten the West.
Omar said, “It seems most of the countries have decided that they’re done with them, ‘let’s leave them here’, but this is a very big mistake.”
He added saying the SDF would not be releasing the militants despite an earlier claim by the United States President Donald Trump that they would be released unless taken them by the European nations. He said, “We could never do this.”
Omar also warned that any attack on the region by Turkey would lead to chaos and possibly allow the detainees to escape, which has vowed to crush YPG which spearheads the SDF.
Trump has suggested that the ISIL fighter detainees could be freed, who are about 800 nearly 50 nationalities unless Europe takes them back.
The SDF has urged the UN (United Nations) on Monday to set up a deal (tribunal) with ISIL fighters and their families.
SDF spokesperson Mustapha Bali told German news agency DPA: “We have asked the different countries to repatriate their own citizens since there is no recognized legal infrastructure in northern Syria. But there has been no response and the terrorists and their families are still in our camps.”
While using an Arabic acronym for ISIL, Bali said, “We call on the United Nations to establish a special international court for the Daesh terrorist organization.”
In a tweet, Trump wrote: “… The U.S. does not want to watch as these ISIS fighters permeate Europe, which is where they are expected to go. We do so much, and spend so much – Time for others to step up and do the job that they are so capable of doing. We are pulling back after 100% Caliphate victory!”
….The U.S. does not want to watch as these ISIS fighters permeate Europe, which is where they are expected to go. We do so much, and spend so much – Time for others to step up and do the job that they are so capable of doing. We are pulling back after 100% Caliphate victory!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2019
European Union (EU) foreign ministers have met on Monday in Brussels to discuss the issues which surround the repatriation of ISIL fighters, which became increasingly important as the battle ramps up.
The United Kingdom (UK) and Germany have already expressed their doubts over the US president’s plan, arguing that it would be difficult to implement so.
Before the Brussels meeting, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said, “It is clearly not as easy as what has been put forward in the United States.” He added, “These people could only then come to Germany if we can ensure they are immediately put in custody. It’s not clear to me how all that can be guaranteed.”
British Prime Minister Theresa May’s spokesperson said, “Foreign fighters should be brought to justice in accordance with the due legal process in the most appropriate jurisdiction … [and] where possible, this should be in the region where the crimes had been committed.” It added that the UK continued “to work closely with our international partners on this”.
Following dialogues with senior US generals, SDF commander-in-chief Mazloum Kobani called for around 1,000-1,500 international forces to remain stationed in Syria in order to help fight ISIL and also, expressed hope that Trump would halt plans of a total pullout.
Kobani said, “We would like to have air cover, air support and a force on the ground to coordinate with us.” The SDF “are still working on trying to get civilians out”, Bali said.