U.S. Central Command leader Gen. Michael Kurilla reiterated his concern that the al-Hol refugee camp in northeast Syria could become a breeding ground for a new generation of Islamic extremists after his third visit to the camp last week.
Kurilla, who took command on April 1 of this year, argued that the best way to prevent the radicalization of tens of thousands of people in the camp is their “successful repatriation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of the camp residents back into their country of origin,” in a statement that was released on Sunday following his trip to the camp. The idea of repatriating those in the camp is not new, but in the past, countries have not eagerly accepted them.
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The repatriation of the people within the camp is a “long-term goal,” whereas their immediate goal is to make the “camp safer for all residents and reduce the influence of ISIS on those residents; the camp administration, the SDF, and camp security are doing this through increased force protection measures,” he explained. “It’s one thing to read about al-Hol in the news, but quite a different thing to see it in person.”
“It’s heartbreaking to see the pain and suffering occurring daily — that is why we are so focused on working with our interagency partners and the international community to repatriate these residents,” Kurilla added.
Last week, two Egyptian girls, 12 and 15, were found beheaded in the camp, according to the Save the Children charity that works there. The total number of people who have been killed or found dead in the refugee camp is over 30, the group said, adding that many of the victims were women. Additionally, last year was the most violent on record there, where an average of more than two people were killed per week.
”This news is utterly heartbreaking,” Interim Syria Response Director, Beth Rohr, said in a statement. “These two girls were trapped in the al-Hol camp through no fault of their own. Their death is a stark reminder that no child should grow up in these camps. We continue to urge all countries to repatriate children stuck in North East Syria as soon as possible.”
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Based on Kurilla’s interactions with camp administrators and residents, he believes “there are thousands of women and children here who would embrace the chance to just go home, escape this squalor and misery, and live a normal life. But the longer we leave them here in these conditions, the greater the chance they will instead raise the next generation of extremists.”
The Syrian Democratic Forces thwarted a suicide bombing attempt at the camp in late September, though four ISIS fighters were killed in the incident. Weeks earlier, the SDF arrested “dozens of ISIS operatives” while conducting security operations at the refugee camp, and a CENTCOM spokesperson said at the time that the arrests led to the “dissolution of a major ISIS facilitation network both within the camp and throughout Syria.”
