Iraqi officials stress dismantling Syria’s Hawl Camp
QUNEITRA, Syria (North Press) – Iraqi officials emphasized on Monday the urgency of dismantling the Hawl Camp, northeastern Syria, which houses around 50,000 ISIS-linked members.
The meeting – which was held at the al-Nahrain Center for Strategic Studies, based Iraqi capital Baghdad – discussed Iraq’s vision regarding the Hawl Camp.
Many Arab and international representatives participated in the event which was presided by the Iraqi National Security Advisor Qassim al-Araji.
The meeting was attended by Iraqi officers and officials, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, and ambassadors from the European and Arab countries in Iraq.
The media office of the Iraqi National Security Advisor stated that the participants focused on the importance of dismantling this “dangerous camp which poses a threat to the region and the world.”
Al-Araji, in the meeting, called the international community to urge countries to repatriate their nationals from the camp. He also proposed holding a ministerial international conference to find a solution to close this camp.
He said that the Iraqi government has taken back 1,369 families from the camp and enrolled them in rehabilitation programs to facilitate their reintegration into society. 800 families have successfully completed the rehabilitation process and returned to their respective hometowns.
Al-Araji stated that “the presence of children inside a camp where hatred and crime are spreading will create a new generation of terrorists. These children are victims. Terrorists must be held accountable according to laws and not escape punishment.”
He said the issue of Hawl camp is not only regional, and that Iraq has made it an international community issue.
Meanwhile, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, said that ISIS left a complex legacy that “we must all confront it.”
She also emphasized the necessity of repatriating children before they turn into “terrorists”, lauding Iraq’s efforts in this regard.
She stressed that the most effective solution would be for the international community to work together to resolve this issue.