The U.S. military has completed the transfer of thousands of Islamic State group detainees from Syria to Iraq, where they are expected to stand trial in the future, the U.S. Central Command said Friday. CENTCOM said that the transfer that began on Jan. 21 saw U.S. forces transporting more than 5,700 adult male IS suspects from detention facilities in Syria to Iraqi custody. The prisoners were transferred to Iraq at the request of Baghdad — a move welcomed by the U.S.-led coalition that had for years fought against IS.
Read MoreBAGHDAD (AP) — U.S. forces have fully withdrawn from an air base in western Iraq in implementation of an agreement with the Iraqi government, Iraqi officials said. Washington and Baghdad agreed in 2024 to wind down a U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq by September 2025, with U.S. forces departing bases where they had been stationed.
Read MoreAs part of our coverage of the history of the Chaldean people and the regions where they have lived, I had the honor of interviewing His Excellency Bishop Mar Habib Hormuz Nawfli, shepherd of the Chaldean Diocese of Basra and the South, and apostolic visitor to Europe. He shared insights into the Chaldean community’s historical presence in Basra, its spiritual and cultural life, and the challenges it faces today.
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