Thousands of ISIS prisoners in no mans land.

MOST PRISONERS IN SYRIAN CAMPS ARE WOMEN AND CHILDREN OF ISIS FIGHTERS

70,000 WITHOUT A HOME

We have occasionally heard about the thousands of ISIS prisoners held in camps, guarded by U.S. allied Kurdish forces. The conditions in these camps have recently deteriorated due to the pandemic and some international relief organizations dropping their support. Most of the prisoners in these camps are the wives and children of ISIS fighters. There are actually very few ISIS fighters in these camps, as most were killed, there were very few fighters taken as prisoners. 

Of the estimated 70,000 prisoners 34,000 are children under 11. The males over the age of 13 are segregated into separate prisons by the Kurds who claim they will be disruptive to the camps.

The Kurds have been continually begging for assistance for a resolution of this problem.

The EU countries and the UK  have refused to allow the citizens of their countries to be allowed to go home. 

Russia has allowed citizens of the Russian federation to return home, but wives with children over 14 will be sentenced to 9 years in prison. Women with children under 14 will be excused until their children reach 14 then they will be obligated to serve their 9 year sentence. A large number of these prisoners are from the Russian federation and it is a very difficult decision to make. Many, who have family to help take care of their children have returned home. It may be better than staying in these camps.

Many of these women relate, as they are Muslim, they are obligated to go with their husband. Many were told if they did not like it in Syria and Iraq, they could return home. The reality was that ISIS killed anyone who wanted to leave, so that was never an option. Many have been in these camps for nearly 2 years.

Interviews with the male children of these women often talk about their fathers being martyrs for Allah. There is much concern by the surrounding countries of Syria and Iraq, that if these persons are released into their country, they will be a new crop of ISIS fighters. 

The remnants of ISIS in the region encourage the prisoners to escape and they will offer them refuge. This may also be a very dangerous choice.

Syria and Iraq have many problems to deal with and this is just one without any simple solutions.

As of now, there is no remedy to this situation. It is likely that raising children in prison camps will exacerbate the situation in the future. It seems the prisoners in this camp, some who were willing participants and some who were just caught up in the decisions of their fathers and husbands have a very bleak future.