Iraq says it should not bear ISIS detainee burden alone

ISTANBUL

Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said Saturday that Iraq should not shoulder the security and financial burden of handling ISIS detainees on its own.

According to a statement by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, carried by the Iraqi News Agency, Hussein made the remarks during a phone call with the EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas.

The statement said the two sides reviewed the strong relations between Iraq and the EU, and discussed ways to enhance cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

The call addressed “the issue of ISIS and detention facilities in Syria, especially following the escape of several group members from prisons that fell outside the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).”

Discussions also covered the security situation in Syria’s Hasakah province, with both sides “stressing the need to sustain the ceasefire and resolve outstanding issues through peaceful means.”

According to the statement, both parties underscored the importance of “Europe playing an active role in supporting talks between the SDF and the Syrian government to reach clear agreements and ensure their implementation.”

On the fate of ISIS prisoners, Kallas thanked the Iraqi government for its “preliminary approval” to receive them, while Hussein stressed that “Iraq should not bear the security and financial consequences of the issue alone,” noting that “responsibility lies with all concerned countries.”

The Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council said Thursday it plans to take legal action against detainees from the ISIS terror group transferred to Iraq from neighboring Syria.

The statement came after the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Tuesday that it launched a mission to transfer ISIS detainees from northeastern Syria to Iraq to ensure the terrorists remain in secure detention facilities.

The mission began with US forces transporting 150 ISIS fighters from a detention facility in northeastern Hasakah province to a secure location in Iraq, with plans for up to 7,000 detainees to eventually be transferred to Iraqi-controlled facilities.