Iraq asks U.S. to slow ISIS prisoner transfers amid repatriation talks
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Informed sources said operations by the U.S. military to transfer detainees from the Islamic State (ISIS) from northeastern Syria to Iraq have slowed this week, after Baghdad requested additional time to negotiate with other countries over the repatriation of their nationals held in custody.
The U.S. military announced on Jan. 21 that it had begun transferring detainees following an attack by forces of the Syrian transitional government on the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), raising concerns about the security of prisons and detention facilities previously overseen by the SDF.
Under initial plans, around 7,000 ISIS militants were expected to be moved to Iraq within days. However, more than a week later, only about 500 detainees have been transferred, according to two Iraqi judicial officials, two Iraqi security officials, and three diplomats cited by Reuters.
Hisham al-Alawi, Iraq’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Planning, said that 500 detainees have so far been transferred to Iraq.
Iraqi sources and a Western diplomat told Reuters that Baghdad asked Washington to slow the pace of transfers to allow time for negotiations with other countries over taking back their citizens, and to prepare additional facilities to accommodate the militants.
According to Iraqi judicial and security sources and a Western diplomat, those transferred so far include around 130 Iraqis and 400 foreign nationals.
Officials noted that while Iraq has tried and sentenced dozens of foreign fighters in recent years, Baghdad remains reluctant to receive all detainees—estimated at about 7,000—due to concerns about overburdening courts and prisons, as well as potential international criticism and human rights objections related to the use of the death penalty.