By John Irish
MUNICH, Feb 13 (Reuters) – About 3,000 Islamic State detainees have so far been transferred from Syrian prisons to Iraq and the process is continuing, Iraq’s foreign minister said on Friday, adding that Baghdad was in discussions with some countries to repatriate them soon.
Speaking in a wide-ranging interview with Reuters on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Fuad Hussein said Baghdad would need more financial assistance to deal with the influx, and was worried about a rise in Islamic State activity just over the border in Syria.
Islamic State swept through large swathes of Syria and Iraq in 2014 before it was driven out by a U.S.-led coalition by 2019, and many of its fighters were detained, although remnants of the militant group remain.
“I think around 3,000 have already been transferred into Iraqi prisons. So the process started and we are continuing that process,” said Hussein.
The U.S. military said on January 21 it had started to transfer the detainees and expects to move some 7,000 fighters. The rapid collapse of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in northeast Syria had caused uncertainty about the security of prisons and detention camps they were guarding.
Hussein said discussions had started with some Arab and Muslim countries to take back their citizens, but European countries remained hesitant because their legal systems could allow fighters to get out of prison sooner.
“We also started talking to some countries so that they can supply us with financial support, because if those thousands of terrorists stay in Iraq for a long time, I mean, security-wise, it’s very dangerous, so we need support from various countries,” he said.
Hussein also warned that there had been a recent uptick in activities by Islamic State in Syria after the Syrian government’s offensive against Kurdish-led SDF forces in northeastern Syria.
“As for the ISIS activities in Syria, we are really worried because they are on the other side of the border and they have become very active recently,” he said.
“I think it has to do with the recent conflict between Syrian Democratic Forces and the Syrian administration or Syrian army. At the same time, there are many people who believe in this ideology inside Syria.”
He also said that, while Baghdad took the United States’ signals seriously, the nomination of former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki to once again take up the role was an internal issue.
He added that U.S. troops were still due to leave Iraq by the end of 2026.
(Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Toby Chopra)
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