Investigative journalist uncovers the fate of a 2-year-old boy and abandoned children in Syrian prison camps. Children suffer in inhumane conditions, traumatized by war. Islamic State's long-term plan for indoctrination and recruitment of children. Challenging journey to Al-Raj camp reveals valuable information about Aisha and Salman.
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Quick takeaways
Thousands of children left behind in Syrian prison camps, living in dire conditions without access to healthcare and education.
ISIS had a long-term plan to indoctrinate and recruit children, training them to fight from a young age, highlighting their strong influence and ability to attract fighters worldwide.
Deep dives
Thousands of children stranded in prison camps after defeat of ISIS
After the defeat of ISIS, many wives and children of fighters were placed in prison camps in northeast Syria. This episode focuses on the story of Salman, a two-year-old boy who went missing during the war. Investigative journalist Poonam Tanajah travels to Syria to uncover the fate of Salman and the thousands of other children left behind in the camps. The camps, Al-Houl and Al-Roj, are dangerous and lack healthcare and education. The children, recognized as innocent victims of war, are living in dire conditions.
IS's long-term plan for children living under the caliphate
IS had a long-term plan for children living under their rule, often referred to as the 'Cubs of the caliphate'. These children were indoctrinated, trained to fight, and brainwashed from a young age. IS aimed to build a society where family played a central role, attracting foreign fighters and encouraging women to produce children who would ensure the survival of the group. The children in the prison camps are a testament to IS's reach and its ability to recruit people from all over the world.
The desperate situation of children in the Syrian prison camps
The camps, particularly Al-Houl and Al-Roj, where the majority of the children are located, are dangerous and bleak. Lack of healthcare, education, and basic necessities make life incredibly difficult for the children. The journalist describes the devastated cemetery outside Al-Houl, which underscores the danger and urgency of bringing these children back home. Interviews with children in the camps reveal their small dreams mixed with despair, as they navigate a life marked by abandonment and uncertainty.
In 2018, under bombardment in Syria, a 2-year-old boy named Salmaan disappeared along with his mother. At the time, the Islamic State was at the brink of defeat. For years, ISIS led a brutal campaign across Syria and Iraq, killing and kidnapping thousands of people.
After the war against the Islamic State was won, many of the wives and children of its fighters were placed in prison camps in Northeast Syria. Today, BBC investigative journalist Poonam Taneja on her journey to those camps to find out what happened to Salmaan, and the fate of the thousands of children left behind in the Syrian desert.
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