Iraq’s foreign minister said Saturday that the country cannot be left to manage the security and financial costs of detaining Daesh members on its own, calling on other nations to share responsibility for the issue.
According to a statement by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, carried by the Iraqi News Agency, Hussein made the remarks during a phone call with the EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas.
The statement said the two sides reviewed the strong relations between Iraq and the EU, and discussed ways to enhance cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
The call addressed "the issue of Daesh and detention facilities in Syria, especially following the escape of several group members from prisons that fell outside the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)."
Discussions also covered the security situation in Syria's Hasakah province, with both sides "stressing the need to sustain the ceasefire and resolve outstanding issues through peaceful means."
According to the statement, both parties underscored the importance of "Europe playing an active role in supporting talks between the SDF and the Syrian government to reach clear agreements and ensure their implementation."
On the fate of Daesh prisoners, Kallas thanked the Iraqi government for its "preliminary approval" to receive them, while Hussein stressed that "Iraq should not bear the security and financial consequences of the issue alone," noting that "responsibility lies with all concerned countries."
The Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council said Thursday it plans to take legal action against detainees from the Daesh terror group transferred to Iraq from neighboring Syria.
The statement came after the U.S. military's Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Tuesday that it launched a mission to transfer Daesh detainees from northeastern Syria to Iraq to ensure the terrorists remain in secure detention facilities.
The mission began with U.S. forces transporting 150 Daesh fighters from a detention facility in northeastern Hasakah province to a secure location in Iraq, with plans for up to 7,000 detainees to eventually be transferred to Iraqi-controlled facilities.
The SDF is dominated by the YPG, the Syrian branch of the PKK terrorist organization. The group has occupied northern Syria for over a decade and is allied with the U.S. under the pretext of fighting Daesh terrorists. It also controls camps holding families of suspected Daesh members.
