CENTCOM Commander Visits Syria to Assess Recent Developments

The commander of the United States Central Command visited Syria on Thursday, January 17, to evaluate the status of operations against ISIS, efforts to prevent the resurgence of this terrorist group, and to review recent developments in the country. According to CENTCOM, General Michael Eric Kurilla met with U.S. military commanders, soldiers, and Syrian Democratic Forces during this visit. He also visited the al-Hol and al-Roj refugee camps in northeastern Syria and warned that these camps could become breeding grounds for a new generation of ISIS without international efforts to repatriate, rehabilitate, and integrate the refugees into their home countries. The al-Hol and al-Roj camps currently host over 40,000 refugees, many of whom have ties to ISIS. Additionally, more than 9,000 ISIS prisoners from over 50 different countries are being held in more than a dozen detention centers protected by the Syrian Democratic Forces. General Kurilla described these facilities as 'a real and potential ISIS army in detention' and emphasized the need for global cooperation to transfer these prisoners to their home countries. The visit to Syria was the final part of General Kurilla's eight-day trip to nine locations, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, Egypt, Lebanon, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, and Syria. At the end of these visits, the commander of the United States Central Command emphasized, 'In-person and direct engagement is vital for a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities our forces and allies face. CENTCOM remains committed to its mission of the enduring defeat of ISIS and establishing stability in the region and beyond.'