Last month, ISIS forces attacked the Ghawayran prison in NE Syria, sparking over a week of fighting with the Kurdish SDF who run it. During the fighting, one of the recurring stories was children at risk from the fighting, with the implication that they were taken as human shields by ISIS.
The fight is over, but the SDF is confirming that “hundreds” of children are still being held within the prison complex. They declined to offer details, but said the children are being held “in a safe place.”
The big issue is that they’re being held, broadly without charges, and with little to no oversight. During the destruction of the ISIS Caliphate, the SDF captured thousands of ISIS suspects, and put them in these prisons, with an eye toward eventually returning them to their nations of origin. Many countries didn’t want them back though.
With hardened ISIS fighters, this became an effective life sentence. More disturbing, the children caught who had any indoctrination from ISIS are facing the exact same thing, an open-ended, extra-judicial sentence.
“Hundreds of Children Still Held at NE Syria Prison” Antiwar should be aware by now how such title would be misleading to an average American reader to blame the Syrian government for holding hundreds of children in prison. The truth is the US backed mercenaries who call themselves “democratic” for no reason at all is the militia holding these children. In this article, there is no indication that the “Kurdish SDF” is backed by the US. This is how Congress fabricated reasons for “The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019.” That act was specifically designed to starve and harm the average Syrian citizens–definitely not to protect Syrians. Remember “Operation Iraqi Freedom?” Millions of Americans still think the main reason for that war was to give Iraqis their freedom. I expect Antiwar to do better.
This articke is infuriating. Children — if they had ISIS indoctrination — are being held! ISIS using them as shield!
Let us say it withouth giiving anyone an excuse! There is a blot in the entire mankind to have alliwed this to happen. As if SDF goons were so careful who they put in that concentration camp. Becaus it is a concentration camp if no judicial process in place to determine the reason for incarceration. Are there female prisoners there? Whose are these children. Russia sent officials into all detention camps after ISIS folded to find any women with children or orphans that came from any Russian territories. Hundreds are repatriated and reunited with families.
Was Iraq given a chance to repatriate its children? Syria? Other nin-Western countries? West pinched their collective nosex as the offspring of thise who went to Syria PRECISELY because ALL Western nations condemned Assad for the crimes agains Islamic rebels!
Having spurned gullable youth to go and fight Assad — havinung even secured their crossing into Syria by SOMEBODY (West) paying Turkish Kurds to smuggle them into Syria, and connect them to “rebels”.
As ISIS — a better organized and better marketed version of rebels took over — all was set to sweep into its net — the Sunni chaos in Iraq and Syria.
No need to waste words on who organized and financed ISIS, and how US used ISIS as means to expand PKK based Kurdish control in Syria (YPG) and Iraq (PUK).
And when ISIS brought Russia in — US had no choice but to get seriously on board to destroy ISIS to prevent Russia, Syria and Iraq doung it themselves.
Cause — consequence.
The Saudi ruker who was the co-architect of ISIS, and funded it through Wahhabi establishment — paid the price. He was deposd in MBS coup, and even his own clan disowned him. Saudis had enough of US duplicity, and its couse was altered in June 2017.
But US propped SDF scooped as many people in northern Hassakah — fighters, SDF enemies and resisters, families, orohans. and a vast numbetmr of Iraqi refugees. Just so it could stsy there — have a footprint in Syria.
Shame in everyone. Not just the sleezy culptkrits, SDF and US that finances them — but everyone else.
That also means Syria, Iraq, the whole ME region. UN, al those dogooders crying over kids misfortunes. The pompously touted “international
community”.
Back to business as usual? Thise kids must deserve it as they were “indictrinated”. No, everyone who cane onto that concentration camp as a child — is not bmguilty of anything. All other must be repatriateted. Let their countries prosecute them,
Keeping an excuse of running the prison allows SDF with no constituency whatsoever to have US on Syrian soil. Cannot be lower than that.