When Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt was to tell the press that Norway had extracted the two Bærum sisters accused of terrorism from Syria, she thanked the United States. Right then, no one knew the reason for it. Now news can tell why Norway had to get help from the Americans. In northeastern Syria, just a few days earlier, a US military base near the city of Remlan was attacked by three drones from a pro-Iranian militia group. An American contractor was killed and six soldiers were wounded. This military base was a few days later to play a central role in the operation to transport the two Bærum sisters accused of terrorism and their three children home to Norway. This is confirmed by a Kurdish military source to news. The US struck back The US attacked the group, and according to the New York Post, 19 pro-Iranian militia forces were killed. US President Joe Biden warned Iran against such attacks. This attack took place before the evacuation operation. At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Norway held talks with the Kurdish self-governing authorities to organize the evacuation of the Bærum sisters and children accused of terrorism. Dangerous area In north-eastern Syria, there are two detention camps that house thousands of IS women and children from 60 different nationalities. The area is controlled by Kurds with the help of American forces. – There are IS cells in the area and it is constantly hit by bombing which we do not know where it is coming from. Several regional forces pose a serious security threat, Rubel Bahho tells news on the phone. He works for the Kurdish autonomous authorities. Rubel Bahho in the Kurdish Autonomous Authority. Photo: Kurdish self-governing authorities / Private A Norwegian delegation, including from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, went to this very area to pick up the two Bærum sisters and children accused of terrorism. A new security situation In the past, delegations from abroad had to drive for three hours on rural and winding roads to retrieve people, but this is no longer the case. In fear of attack, the Kurds have changed their approach. – Some delegations see the area as very dangerous. Therefore, they want to get their own very quickly. Either they come by car to the nearest area which is controlled by self-governing authorities or they use a military helicopter, says Bahho. The Norwegian delegation did not use the road, as they have done in two previous operations. Instead, the Bærum sisters and their children were transported to the American military base near the border with Iraq. It was the same base that was subjected to the deadly drone attack a few days earlier. From this base, the Bærum sisters were flown out together with the Norwegian delegation in an American military helicopter. They landed in Erbil in northern Iraq. – We received evacuation help from the coalition led by the United States, following an inquiry from the self-governing authorities, says Bahho. He hopes that such evacuations by military helicopter can help motivate more countries to pick up their own citizens before it is too late. – It is not good for children to grow up in an internment camp. Radicalization is taking place, and the children are exposed to a lot that is not good for them, says Bahho. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not wish to be interviewed, but writes the following in an e-mail: – The security situation in the area is challenging, so this has been a large and complicated operation. Several parts of the Norwegian government apparatus have contributed, together with local authorities and the USA. We cannot share further details about this operation, writes communications advisor Guri Solberg. There are several countries involved in the conflict in Syria, including the USA, Russia, Iran, Turkey and several jihadist groups. The photo shows Russian and American vehicles side by side. Photo: DELIL SOULEIMAN / AFP A divided country After 12 years of civil war, Syria is not a unified country, but divided into four areas controlled by different foreign powers and armed groups. These include Iran, Turkey, the USA, Russia and IS. Israel regularly bombs pro-Iranian military bases in several places in the country. The two women accused of terrorism and their children returned home to Norway on the night of 29 March this year. Ten years after the two Norwegian girls aged 16 and 19 traveled to Syria, they had their feet on Norwegian soil again. Before they landed, they were informed that they would be arrested on arrival in Norway. – Happy to come home Lawyer Geir Lippestad, who is the defender of one of the sisters, does not want to comment on the evacuation operation from Syria. – The girls traveled to an unstable country, and it was not how they imagined it would be. They are very happy to have come home, says Lippestad to news. There are still two Norwegian women and one child left in camps in Syria. No one knows what will happen to them in the future.
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Sisters accused of terrorism had to be taken out by American military helicopter – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
