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UP FRONTTuesday 15 March 2016

Palestinian-American IS fighter surrenders to Iraqi Kurds

Jamal Khweis, left, who identified himself as the father of the 26-year-old man fighting with the says he is from the United Last week, Brett McGurk,
Islamic State group who gave himself up to Iraqi Kurdish forces in northern Iraq on Monday, and States and that he is Pal- President Barack Obama’s
who said when he gave up that he is a Palestinian from the United States, reacts with another man estinian. In response to the envoy to the U.S.-led co-
as they walk outside a home in Alexandria, Va., Monday, March 14, 2016. The Virginia drivers interrogator’s question, he alition fighting the Islamic
license that Mohamad Jamal Khweis was carrying when he gave up listed the address in Alex- says he was in Mosul, Iraq’s State group, announced
andria. second-largest city, which that IS had lost more than
has been under IS con- 3,000 square kilometers
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) trol since the jihadi group (1,158 square miles) of terri-
blitzed across Iraq to cap- tory in Syria and more than
BALINT SZLANKO tary and Shiite militia forces Helkani added. ture much of the country’s 600 fighters over the past
Associated Press — in battling the IS extrem- The Iraqi Kurdish general north and west in the sum- month.
IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — A 26-year- ists. did not provide further de- mer of 2014. In Iraq, the Islamic State
old man fighting with the Helkani said his troops first tails or a hometown for the In the Kingstowne neigh- group has claimed respon-
Islamic State group gave tried to shoot the man, as- man but a photograph borhood of Fairfax County, sibility for a series of suicide
himself up to Iraqi Kurdish suming he was a would-be of an American driving li- listed as Khweis’ home on attacks that have killed
forces in northern Iraq on suicide bomber. cense said to belong to the driver’s license, a man more than 170 people over
Monday and when asked, “Then in the morning, he the IS fighter was posted on who said he is Khweis’ fa- the past few weeks. Of-
said he is a Palestinian from walked across and gave social media, identifying ther said he was leaving ficials also say the group
the United States. himself up,” Helkani said, him as Mohamad Jamal to meet with authorities to has launched a number
His driving license, posted adding the man is a Pales- Khweis, 26, from Alexan- find out what they knew. of chemical weapons at-
on social media, had Al- tinian-American who was dria, Virginia. The discrep- He became angry when tacks.
exandria, Virginia, as his fighting with IS in Iraq. ancy between the fighter’s a reporter tried to ask him Local officials in the town
home address and though The surrender took place family name on the license about his son and suggest- of Taza in Iraq’s north say
U.S. authorities have yet to on the front lines near the and the one provided by ed it was unfair to ask him a recent attack injured
confirm whether he is an town of Sinjar, which was the Kurdish general could to account for his grown more than 600 people. The
American citizen, the in- retaken by Iraqi forces from not immediately be rec- son. “He’s 26. Almost 27. attacks follow a string of
cident marked a rare vol- IS militants late last year. onciled. His first name was He’s a grown man, just like advances by Iraqi forces
untary surrender in Iraq of Helkani identified the man also spelled differently. In you,” he told a reporter. backed by U.S.-led air-
a militant fighting with the as Mohammed Jamal grainy cell phone foot- A Pentagon spokesman, strikes, including in the
extremist group. Amin and said he was age, also posted on social Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, said western city of Ramadi,
The IS fighter had been carrying with him a large media shortly after the sur- he could not verify that the which was declared fully
“lurking near the peshmer- amount of cash, three cell render, the man is seen individual is an American or “liberated” by Iraqi and
ga lines” since late Sunday phones and three forms on a hillside, standing with that he defected from IS. U.S.-led coalition officials
night, according to Maj. of identification, including his hands behind his back, “We are aware of the re- last month.
Gen. Feisal Helkani of the a U.S. driving license. The head slightly bowed. He is ports, aware that a U.S. Yet despite the U.S.-led
Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga IS fighter is currently being surrounded by Iraqi Kurd- citizen allegedly fighting airstrikes, the Kurdish pesh-
forces who play a key role held by the peshmerga ish troops and responds to for ISIL has been captured merga troops, Shiite militia
— along with the Iraqi mili- troops for interrogation, an officer’s questions. He by peshmerga forces in units and pro-government
northern Iraq,” he said, us- Sunni fighters, IS still con-
ing an alternative acronym trols large swaths of land in
for the Islamic State group. Iraq and Syria, and has de-
“We’re in touch with Iraqi clared an Islamic “caliph-
and Kurdish authorities to ate” on the territory it holds.
determine the veracity of The extremist group also
these reports. I don’t have still controls Mosul, as well
any further information to as the city of Fallujah, 40
share at this time.” miles (65 kilometers) west of
“We’re just learning of it,” Baghdad.
Davis added. “As bad things start to hap-
Though rare in Iraq, Syrian pen, the less motivated,
Kurdish fighters battling the less disciplined, less radi-
Islamic State in neighboring cal elements of the force
Syria have told The Associ- break and run,” said U.S.
ated Press that they are Army Col. Steve Warren. He
seeing an increase in the added that coalition strikes
number of IS members sur- targeting IS leadership and
rendering following recent finances have triggered in-
territorial losses. creased desertions.q