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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone on Sunday with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani about efforts to repatriate Daesh detainees held in Iraq to their home countries, the State Department said. Iraq’s parliament convened a special session the same day to discuss developments along the Syrian border and the transfer of Daesh prisoners.
In a statement, the State Department said Rubio and Sudani discussed "ongoing diplomatic efforts to ensure the rapid repatriation of countries' nationals from Iraq and their accountability," referring to Daesh detainees being transferred from Syria to Iraq.
The statement added that Rubio praised the Iraqi government's initiative to accelerate the transfer and detention of Daesh members to secure locations inside Iraq.
The State Department said the two sides discussed diplomatic efforts tied to repatriation and accountability for detainees, describing the issue in the context of transfers from Syria to Iraq. Rubio, the statement said, welcomed Iraq's steps to speed up the transfer and detention process to secure sites inside the country.
According to the State Department, the two sides also discussed ongoing Iraqi consultations to form a government. The statement said they reaffirmed their shared commitment to enabling Iraq to realize its full potential as a force for stability, prosperity and security in the Middle East.
Rubio said that "any government controlled by Iran will be unable to put Iraq's interests first, keep Iraq out of regional conflicts, or strengthen the U.S.-Iraq partnership."
In connection with the transfer of Daesh detainees, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Monday that Iraq is "at the forefront of countries confronting the threat posed by Daesh to all nations," urging "all countries to repatriate foreign fighters to their home countries to face justice."
Earlier, Sudani stressed that the transfer of Daesh detainees from Syria to Iraqi prisons is "a temporary measure to preserve national and regional security," calling on concerned countries to take back their nationals who are members of the group.
Sudani added, during a meeting with Atul Khare, the U.N. undersecretary-general for operational support, that Iraq "has demonstrated its sense of responsibility and its ability to take the right measures to ensure that terrorist activity is prevented."
In a related development, Iraq's parliament held a closed special session Sunday to discuss security challenges along the Iraq-Syria border and the transfer of Daesh prisoners from Syrian detention facilities to Iraqi prisons. Defense Minister Thabet al-Abbasi and senior military commanders attended the session.
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