Joe Biden is asleep at the wheel. The worst case scenario is coming true.
Because President Biden was just alerted of this terrible prison break with national security consequences.
U.S. Officials Warn of Imminent ISIS Threat as Detention Centers in Syria Become More Vulnerable
U.S. officials have issued a grave warning regarding the growing risk of ISIS prisoners escaping from detention centers in northeastern Syria. According to a report by Politico, thousands of ISIS members, currently held in these facilities, could soon be freed if ongoing military tensions in the region continue. The situation has raised serious concerns among American authorities about the potential for a resurgence of the terrorist group.
The detention centers are under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led militia that has long been allied with the United States in the fight against ISIS. However, these facilities are not well-secured, and recent developments have made them increasingly vulnerable to attacks. Following the collapse of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) has made significant inroads into the areas held by the SDF, raising fears of an imminent threat to the safety of the prisoners.
Reports indicate that the SDF is currently holding approximately 9,000 ISIS militants, along with 50,000 others, in overcrowded and poorly maintained detention centers. If attacks by the SNA on SDF positions continue, U.S. officials fear that these prisoners could escape, leading to a major crisis in the region. As one senior U.S. counterterrorism official told Politico, “I usually hate this cliche, but this is the closest thing we have to a ticking time bomb.” The official added, “If Turkey doesn’t get these attacks on the [Syrian Democratic Forces] halted, we could have a massive jailbreak on our hands.”
#BREAKING: Terrorists of #AlQaeda affiliated HTS and AaT are releasing imprisoned Al-Qaeda & ISIS members from #Aleppo's central prison! Fall of Aleppo is like fall of Raqqa and Mosul into hands of ISIS in 2014! pic.twitter.com/anJqFpFwsx
— Babak Taghvaee – The Crisis Watch (@BabakTaghvaee1) November 29, 2024
The current situation is made even more precarious by the fact that the detention centers were originally intended as temporary holding facilities. The SDF had planned to eventually extradite the prisoners to their home countries for trial, but many of these countries have been reluctant to repatriate the detainees. This has left the fighters in limbo, with no clear path forward for their accountability or confinement.
Joseph Votel, a retired general who led U.S. Central Command during the battle against ISIS from 2016 to 2019, expressed deep concern about the situation. “This is essentially a terrorist army in detention,” he told Politico. “I am very concerned.”
The U.S. government has taken steps to mitigate the risks, including brokering a ceasefire between the SNA and the SDF over the northeastern Syrian city of Manbij. The SDF’s chief, Mazloum Abdi, has expressed hope that the ceasefire could be extended further to prevent further escalation. The U.S. maintains a military presence in Syria, with around 900 troops stationed in the country, and has long worked closely with the SDF to combat ISIS.
“We continue to engage with the SDF, with Turkey about a path forward,” said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller. “We don’t want to see any party take advantage of the current unstable situation to advance their own narrow interests at the expense of the broader Syrian national interest.”
The overall context of the conflict is also troubling. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster by rebel forces, including the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has further destabilized the region. HTS’s rise, combined with Russia’s declining influence, has created a volatile situation in which rival factions are vying for control, often at the expense of stability.
As the situation continues to unfold, U.S. officials are closely monitoring developments, fearful that the ongoing instability could lead to the release of dangerous ISIS militants who could reignite the terror group’s operations in the region.
The Biden administration has already faced immense scrutiny and criticism for the past four years concerning their handling of foreign policy matters and overall national security. It seems as though the Biden administration will be ending their chapter in American history on a bad note, with more chaos being fostered all over the world and creating more uncertainty for the U.S. and her interests.
Joe Biden and the Democrats have to know that the U.S. is a major target for terrorists, especially in the wake of 9/11, the Iraq invasion, the Afghanistan war, etc. To let the situation in the Middle East just get worse and worse is shocking for so many Americans who are fearful of what awaits them.
The Conservative Column will keep you informed on any major news coming out of the Middle East and foreign policy reports.
