US pushes to reintegrate militants after Islamic State fight

The Donald Trump administration is working to help Middle Eastern and African countries reintegrate thousands of fighters who joined the Islamic State (IS) and its affiliates, a senior administration official said Dec. 5.

Speaking at an Al-Monitor Middle East Mornings breakfast, Denise Natali, the State Department’s assistant secretary for the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO), said the bureau is developing policies and programs to help foreign officials identify whether former Islamic State fighters and affiliates p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px 'Noto Sans'; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} span.s2 {font-kerning: none; background-color: #07f900} can be deradicalized and re-integrated into their communities.  

“What do we do with tens of thousands of militia, non-state armed groups that won’t reintegrate into national armies, won’t give up their arms and are having a difficult time reintegrating?” Natali asked.  p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Calibri; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} “There’s an easier or more willing path to reintegrate [former fighters from nationalist groups] than it is from Boko Haram, Al-Shabab,” she added, stating that West Balkan states have taken back several hundred Islamic State fighters from Syria.

The challenge of detaining more than 10,000 foreign IS fighters who remain in Syria has been a key point of contention between Trump and European leaders, as the United States slimmed its presence to around 600 troops in the war-torn country this month. The Pentagon-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have struggled to control overcrowded camps such as al-Hol since Turkey launched an incursion into the war-torn country on Oct. 9.