ISIS core must be unable to reconstitute: Global Coalition
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A statement issued by the Rome meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS said, the assembled ministers committed to strengthening cooperation across all Coalition lines of effort in order to ensure that ISIS core in Iraq and Syria, and its affiliates and networks around the world are unable to reconstitute any territorial enclave or continue to threaten our homelands, people, and interests.
ISIS no longer controls territory and nearly eight million people have been freed from its control in Iraq and Syria, but the threat remains, according to the statement.
It is worth mentioning that the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS includes 83 countries, after African countries joined it.
Supporting liberated regions
The ministers suggested that ”The resumption in ISIS activities and its ability to rebuild its networks and capabilities to target security forces and civilians in areas where the Coalition is not active, requires strong vigilance and coordinated action. This includes allocating adequate resources to sustain Coalition and legitimate partner forces’ efforts against ISIS, and significant stabilization support.”
They noted to “addressing the drivers that make communities vulnerable to recruitment by ISIS and related violent ideological groups, as well as to provide support to liberated areas to safeguard our collective security interests.”
Earlier today, spokesman for the Autonomous Administration criticized the lack of invitation to an international meeting on Syria, because their forces are still fighting terrorism and the region needs reconstruction.
Today’s statement said, the ministers acknowledged Iraq’s efforts to confront the remnants of ISIS and prevent it from reappearing, and praised the raising of the ability of the Iraqi forces to fight the organization.
The participants said that in Syria, the Coalition stands with the Syrian people in support of a lasting political settlement in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254, stressing that “ the Coalition must continue to be vigilant against the threat of terrorism, and to avoid security vacuums that ISIS may exploit.”
“The Coalition continues to support inclusive local recovery and stabilization in areas liberated from ISIS and reconciliation and reintegration efforts to foster conditions conducive to a Syria-wide political resolution to the conflict under the parameters of UN Security Council Resolution 2254,” according to the statement.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said in a statement that after their success in the first phase of fighting ISIS, “we still have a lot of work in the second phase to eliminate the structure of the terrorist organization and its extremist ideology and confront its terrorist messages.”
Concern about ISIS foreign detainees
The Ministers committed to pursuing existing effective justice and accountability mechanisms in close coordination with the countries of origin, without any reference to an agreement on the return of states to their subjects.
“The Coalition remains committed to promoting efforts to ensure that accused terrorists, including those of foreign nationalities, are treated appropriately and tried consistently with applicable international law obligations,” the statement noted.
International news agencies cited the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, as saying that during the meeting, he urged the allies of the United States to repatriate their citizens detained in northeast Syria after they fought in the ranks of ISIS.
Ten thousand fighters suspected of belonging to ISIS are detained in northeast Syria by the Syrian Democratic Forces, which are allied with Western countries, Blinken said.
Although the United States seeks to persuade countries to take back their citizens, rehabilitate them, and even prosecute them, some of those participating in the Coalition have reservations about returning their citizens.
AFP quoted the US Secretary of State as saying during the meeting: “This situation is intolerable and cannot continue indefinitely.”
Earlier today, an official of the Autonomous Administration said that the response of countries that have nationals from the families of ISIS members in Hawl Camp is very slow.
Today, the SDF Commander-in-Chief, Mazloum Abdi, addressed the meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS saying, “To ensure a sustainable victory, we must not forget that tens of thousands of women, children and ISIS fighters are still in camps and custody centers in northeast Syria.”
Abdi called on the Global Coalition to help return these people to their countries of origin, support education and counter extremism programs, as well as support stability and economic recovery in liberated areas to address the root causes of extremism.
Also, the ministers stated that “with grave concern that ISIS affiliates and networks in sub-Saharan Africa threaten security and stability, namely in the Sahel Region and in East Africa/Mozambique.”
The ministers also reaffirmed their intent to hold the next ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition by June 2022 and to hold a Small Group Political Directors Meeting in Brussels in the fall of 2021.