As IS shrinks in Syria, U.S.-led coalition grapples with foreign detainees

[webfact]

As IS shrinks in Syria, U.S.-led coalition grapples with foreign detainees

By Idrees Ali

 

FILE PHOTO: Men, who the Democratic Forces of Syria fighters claimed were Islamic State fighters, walk as they are taken prisoners after SDF advanced in the southern rural area of Manbij, in Aleppo Governorate, Syria May 31, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said/File Photo

 

ROME (Reuters) - As U.S.-backed militias in Syria capture a growing number of Islamic State militants, the United States wants to see foreign fighters returned to their countries of origin for prosecution, a senior Pentagon official said on Sunday.

 

The question of how to deal with captured foreign fighters received renewed attention when U.S. officials said the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - an alliance of militias dominated by the Kurdish YPG - had captured two of four militants known as the "Beatles" for their English accents.

 

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States was in talks with the British about what to do with them but at this point there were no plans to bring them to the United States or Guantanamo Bay.

 

About a dozen members of the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State will meet in Rome this week, where the United States, led by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, will emphasise the need for countries to take back foreign Islamic State detainees.

 

"We are working with the coalition on foreign fighter detainees, and generally expect these detainees to return to their country of origin for disposition," Katie Wheelbarger, the principle deputy assistant secretary of defence for international security affairs, said.

 

U.S. officials have expressed concerns about the lack of a clear path on how to deal with foreign fighters detained by the SDF.

 

The large number of detainees mixing in detention facilities often crammed with prisoners, could lead to a proliferation of militant views and deeper radicalisation, officials have said.

 

The other concern is SDF detention facilities reaching capacity. At one point, SDF forces were capturing 40 to 50 Islamic State fighters, including Syrians, a day.

 

U.S. officials say there are hundreds of foreign fighters and thousands of Syrian Islamic State militants in SDF hands.

 

"The capacity problem is very real ... I think they are willing to hold them as long as we need," Wheelbarger said.

 

"(But) if they continue to capture them at the rates that they are, their facilities are eventually going to be full."

 

(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-02-12

[steve187]

i can think of a good way to deal with them, but would not fit in with the current PC rules in most countries.

[Stargeezr]

IS is like a cancer, and their members should be treated as such, and for Gods sake do not send any to Canada, as our great and wise, leader will see if any are Canadians, and try to change them back to normal thinking people, as he has said, A Canadian, is a Canadian, is a Canadian, and would try to help these most unfortunates, who were not killed off during the battles. Death is all that they deserve, at least in my humble opinion.

Geezer

[Ulic]

Everybody knows what to do with them but nobody wants to do it. 

[Chris Lawrence]

Apart from getting rid of Saddam who else is responsible for the rise of IS?

 

The getting rid of Gadhafi. Gadhafi wanted to change the currency in most of Africa which is the frank. The outcome would have seen the weakening of the currency. So what happened, the French got rid of Gadhafi. His money then went to IS, which grew their regime.

 

So we have this humanitarian minefield with people being displaced and murdered every day, but the culprits wont put up their hands.

 

They do what they do but they don't know what they do does.

 

The countries that have promoted this mess should be responsible for cleaning it up. 

[mrwebb8825]

There's like a million acres of uninhabited desert there. Copy the Vegas mafia. They'd do the same if they had the chance. After all, that's why they were there. 

[FritsSikkink]

Idiots will start a WW:

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us-kills-russians-in-syria-strikes-reports-say/ar-BBJ3mxx?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartandhp 

[Sir Dude]

These prisoners should all face the justice system in the countries they were caught in or invaded with a nefarious agenda . May seem hard, but not even close to as such to that which they were dealing out when it was going their way. They are not entitled to some fluffy detention cell where they can study a degree and live in comparative luxury....now way.

Edited February 13, 2018 by Sir Dude

[ilostmypassword]

33 minutes ago, Sir Dude said:

These prisoners should all face the justice system in the countries they were caught in or invaded with a nefarious agenda . May seem hard, but not even close to as such to that which they were dealing out when it was going their way. They are not entitled to some fluffy detention cell where they can study a degree and live in comparative luxury....now way.

I know what you mean. Those detentions cells at Guantanamo are not only fluffy, they probably have sea views, too.