Syria ‘looking forward’ to rejoin Arab League

Syria’s foreign minister said on Saturday he was looking forward to the return of Syria to the Arab League as the country’s new rulers seek a place in the regional political landscape.

Asaad Hassan Al Shibani made his statements during a joint press conference in Damascus with Arab League Assistant Secretary General Hossam Zaki, who said the Arab League was working with member states to activate Syria’s participation.

Meanwhile, US Central Command said its chief met Kurdish-led forces in northeast Syria and urged the repatriation of foreign Daesh fighters, as Kurds battle Turkey-backed groups in the region.

General Michael Kurilla met US military commanders and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) “to get an assessment” of efforts to defeat Daesh and prevent its regional resurgence, as well as “the evolving situation in Syria,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

The United States and other Western countries as well as Syria’s neighbours have emphasised the need for the country’s new rulers to combat “terrorism and extremism.”

Supported by Washington, the SDF spearheaded the military campaign that ousted Daesh group from Syria in 2019 and controls dozens of prisons and camps where thousands of militants and their suspected relatives, including foreigners, are held.

SDF chief Mazloum Abdi said in a statement that he met Kurilla “recently” for a meeting that “was crucial for assessing Syria’s current situation and joint operations” against Daesh.

The SDF “reaffirmed the importance of strengthening partnerships and the critical role of the US in achieving a permanent ceasefire in Northeast Syria and ensuring security and stability across the entire country,” he added.

CENTCOM, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, said Kurilla visited the Al Hol camp which, together with a smaller facility, houses more than 40,000 people, many of them with ties to Daesh.

It added that “without international repatriation, rehabilitation, and reintegration efforts,” such camps “risk creating the next generation” of Daesh members.

An additional 9,000 Daesh detainees “from over 50 different countries remain in over a dozen SDF guarded detention facilities in Syria,” CENTCOM said.

Agencies