Senior US commander sounds alarm over Syria’s Islamic State prison camps
Michael 'Erik' Kurilla, the Army four-star general overseeing all American troops in the Middle East, went inside Syria's al-Hol Islamic State detainment camp Friday and spoke with residents. He says many can be sent home.
The commander of all US military forces in the Middle East made an urgent appeal to the international community after visiting the al-Hol camp for Islamic State detainees in northeast Syria on Friday.
Describing al-Hol as a “humanitarian catastrophe” and a "flashpoint of human suffering,” US Army Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla urged governments around the world to repatriate their citizens from the camp “and rehabilitate them if needed.”
More than 90% of al-Hol's detainees are women and children, with 70% under the age of 12, Kurilla noted in a statement following his visit Friday. Most lack sufficient access to running water and other basic necessities to support life.
“ISIS seeks to exploit these horrific conditions. With approximately 80 births in the camp each month, this place is a literal breeding ground for the next generation of ISIS,” Kurilla said.
