Disir
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- Sep 30, 2011
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RBIL, Iraq — As Iraqi forces near the liberation of Mosul from the Islamic State, thousands of families fear reprisals against relatives forced to serve on behalf of the militants.
USA TODAY spoke to several families who admitted that their husbands or sons were trained by the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, because of desperation or coercion.
Asia Khalaf, who stays with her two children in the Jeddah refugee camp about 60 miles southwest of here, said her now-arrested husband joined ISIS because he could not earn any money as a carpenter after the militants arrived. "Our children were often hungry," Khalaf said.
Her husband trained with ISIS for a month, but the militants rarely gave him anything to do. "He mostly sat at home doing nothing," Khalaf said. He was arrested in February by Iraqi militias after the family escaped from their village.
Wafa Abdullah, who is also in the Jeddah camp, said her teenage son was "brainwashed" by ISIS and then received training, though she swore he was not involved in any violent actions and eventually left ISIS to hide with different relatives. He is now under arrest by the Iraqi army.
Tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped in western Mosul, the last major stronghold in Iraq for ISIS, which stormed the country in 2014. Many residents who managed to flee said the militants use civilians as human shields and threaten torture or death for anyone who defies their orders.
Even so, calls are mounting for harsh punishment or forced displacement for family members with alleged or confirmed ties to the militant group, whether their cooperation was voluntary or coerced. Some Iraqis cite tribal law, in which families share a relative's guilt.
"Even women and children of terrorists should be killed, or ISIS will come back," said Wathban Rammah, head of the council of reunification of Mosul tribes. "We need to fully destroy ISIS and their families — the tribes should act on this."
Nazhan Sakhar, leader of a south Mosul militia group, said only families that executed or surrendered their terrorist sons should be welcome. Others should be banished or confined to restricted areas.
Iraqi families fear reprisals against relatives forced to help ISIS
What to do with the left overs.
USA TODAY spoke to several families who admitted that their husbands or sons were trained by the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, because of desperation or coercion.
Asia Khalaf, who stays with her two children in the Jeddah refugee camp about 60 miles southwest of here, said her now-arrested husband joined ISIS because he could not earn any money as a carpenter after the militants arrived. "Our children were often hungry," Khalaf said.
Her husband trained with ISIS for a month, but the militants rarely gave him anything to do. "He mostly sat at home doing nothing," Khalaf said. He was arrested in February by Iraqi militias after the family escaped from their village.
Wafa Abdullah, who is also in the Jeddah camp, said her teenage son was "brainwashed" by ISIS and then received training, though she swore he was not involved in any violent actions and eventually left ISIS to hide with different relatives. He is now under arrest by the Iraqi army.
Tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped in western Mosul, the last major stronghold in Iraq for ISIS, which stormed the country in 2014. Many residents who managed to flee said the militants use civilians as human shields and threaten torture or death for anyone who defies their orders.
Even so, calls are mounting for harsh punishment or forced displacement for family members with alleged or confirmed ties to the militant group, whether their cooperation was voluntary or coerced. Some Iraqis cite tribal law, in which families share a relative's guilt.
"Even women and children of terrorists should be killed, or ISIS will come back," said Wathban Rammah, head of the council of reunification of Mosul tribes. "We need to fully destroy ISIS and their families — the tribes should act on this."
Nazhan Sakhar, leader of a south Mosul militia group, said only families that executed or surrendered their terrorist sons should be welcome. Others should be banished or confined to restricted areas.
Iraqi families fear reprisals against relatives forced to help ISIS
What to do with the left overs.
