[h=1]BREAKING NEWS: 16-year-old Swedish girl rescued from ISIS by special forces in Iraq after being 'misled' into joining terror group[/h]
By SARA MALM FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 12:49, 23 February 2016 | UPDATED: 13:06, 23 February 2016
A 16-year-old Swedish girl has been rescued from ISIS in a raid carried out in Mosul, Iraq, by Kurdish special forces.
Marlin Stivani Nivarlain, from Boras, western Sweden had reportedly been 'misled' into running away from home to join ISIS terrorists last year.
The teenager was rescued in a raid by Kurdish special forces last week, the autonomous region's security council said in a statement on Tuesday.
- Swedish teen rescued from ISIS in Mosul, Iraq by Kurdish troops
- Marlin Stivani Nivarlain, from Boras, western Sweden rescued last week
- She claims an ISIS supporter in her home country 'misled' her
By SARA MALM FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 12:49, 23 February 2016 | UPDATED: 13:06, 23 February 2016
A 16-year-old Swedish girl has been rescued from ISIS in a raid carried out in Mosul, Iraq, by Kurdish special forces.
Marlin Stivani Nivarlain, from Boras, western Sweden had reportedly been 'misled' into running away from home to join ISIS terrorists last year.
The teenager was rescued in a raid by Kurdish special forces last week, the autonomous region's security council said in a statement on Tuesday.
The 16-year-old travelled from Sweden to Syria last year and then crossed the border into Iraq, where she was rescued near the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul on Feb. 17 by forces from the Kurdish counterterrorism department, the statement added.
The Kurdish security council identified the rescued teenager as coming from the town of Boras and said she had been misled into making the journey to Syria by an Islamic State member in Sweden.
'The Kurdistan Region Security Council was called upon by Swedish authorities and members of her family to assist in locating and rescuing her from ISIS,' the statement read.
The teenager is currently in the Kurdistan region and will be handed over to Swedish authorities so she can return home once necessary arrangements are put place, it added.
The Kurdish security council identified the rescued teenager as coming from the town of Boras and said she had been misled into making the journey to Syria by an Islamic State member in Sweden.
'The Kurdistan Region Security Council was called upon by Swedish authorities and members of her family to assist in locating and rescuing her from ISIS,' the statement read.
The teenager is currently in the Kurdistan region and will be handed over to Swedish authorities so she can return home once necessary arrangements are put place, it added.
"
Silly little misguided and naïve girl - should have left her there.
Misled? Yeah right!! So SF guys now have to risk their lives for these filth as well do they?
The Swedes would be stupid to give her a second chance
People who are "misled" into joining ISIS have no room in our society. What next, will they be "misled" to carry out terror attacks? To murder? To maim? What part about them did she not like, what what parts drew her to them exactly?
"'misled' into joining terror group" - Yes its always someone elses fault, strange that
"
Silly little misguided and naïve girl - should have left her there.
Misled? Yeah right!! So SF guys now have to risk their lives for these filth as well do they?
The Swedes would be stupid to give her a second chance
People who are "misled" into joining ISIS have no room in our society. What next, will they be "misled" to carry out terror attacks? To murder? To maim? What part about them did she not like, what what parts drew her to them exactly?
"'misled' into joining terror group" - Yes its always someone elses fault, strange that
"
How Two Americans Helped More Than 100 Iraqi Christian Refugees Escape ISIS
(A much better story. A husband and wife team of former CIA agents rescue 149 Iraqi Christians fleeing ISIS invasion with their families)
An American husband and wife team helped more than 100 Iraqi Christian refugees escape ISIS terror threats in their homeland and flee to Europe.
Joseph and Michele Assad, former U.S. counter-terrorism officers, helped arrange for 25 families, 149 refugees in all including 62 children, to board a privately-chartered plane in the Kurdistan region of Iraq on Dec. 10, and land in Kosice, Slovakia, where they will be granted asylum within a month.
“We are so proud of Slovakia,” Michele Assad told ABC News “20/20.” “They were very courageous to make this decision and it wasn’t an easy one to make, yet they did. … We hope other countries will have similar courage.”
Iraqi Christian Refugees Share Their Most Treasured Possessions
Tens of thousands Iraqi Christians fled their homes in Qaraqosh in the wake of ISIS attacks. Many ended up in refugee camps, carrying little but their most prized possessions. About 560 refugees ended up at the Mar Elia Chaldean Catholic Church in Erbil, Iraq.
Contracted by the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom, the Assads have spent the past four months forging a close partnership with Father Douglas Bazi at Mar Elia.
“We are rescuing people that are at their most vulnerable, and Christians happen to be part of this group that is the most vulnerable,” Joseph Assad said. “Muslims have other Muslim nations that they can turn to. They can go to other Arab countries. They can resettle there. Christians are having a much more difficult time resettling in some of these Arab countries.”
Glenn Beck's charity, Mercury One’s Nazarene Fund, raised more than $12 million for the evacuation and resettlement efforts. The Assads were managing the risky plan of getting the refugees out of Iraq and finding a country that would grant them asylum so they can start their lives over.
“It is very nerve-wracking because, I mean, you want everything to go right,” Joseph Assad said. “There's a lot of logistics. There are buses. There's luggage. There are airports … coordinating with the authorities.”
Assad, an immigrant to the U.S. from Egypt, said he and his family came to the states after fleeing religious persecution.
Motivated by their own Christian faith and the suffering they have seen, the Assads have made saving the Mar Elia refugees their personal mission.
“It’s about giving these people a chance, like somebody took a chance on me,” he said. “Giving these children hope … allowing these people to leave with dignity.”
For the past few months, the Assads have been coming to Mar Elia, forging friendships, vetting the refugees, gathering visas for them and fighting to find a country to accept them.
Joseph Assad said they tried negotiating with “at least a dozen countries” before Slovakia agreed to take 25 refugee families. “We knocked on a lot of doors,” he said.
Slovakia, a predominantly Catholic country, was ready to accept the families. But after the Paris terrorist attacks on Nov. 13, public sentiment began to shift.
Slovakia agreed to provide asylum for the 149 people. But both the Assads and the Slovakians wanted to be sure that none of the refugees posed a security threat. Building on their own counter-terrorism expertise, the Assads created a special vetting process.
“You have to kind of know what the red flags might be, so you know how to look for them,” Michele Assad said. “We asked for everything about them and their families … their former jobs, whether they have ever … worked for a military or intelligence before.”
Joseph Assad said they were “very confident” they were not rescuing anyone who could be a terrorist.
“These people have been vetted,” he said. “We know 100 percent they are not extremists and that they were desperate, they were vulnerable, and they were in need.”
When the refugees arrived in Slovakia, they were taken to a reception center where they will have to stay for at least six weeks as Slovakian officials conduct health inspections and review visa documents.
Joseph and Michelle Assad told “20/20” the Slovakians should be praised for their hospitality and humanity.
“I tell people, ‘don’t be afraid of refugees.’ There is a way to show compassion and do it intelligently,” Joseph Assad said. “We can show this compassion. So I think there’s a whole lot more that we can do."
(A much better story. A husband and wife team of former CIA agents rescue 149 Iraqi Christians fleeing ISIS invasion with their families)
An American husband and wife team helped more than 100 Iraqi Christian refugees escape ISIS terror threats in their homeland and flee to Europe.
Joseph and Michele Assad, former U.S. counter-terrorism officers, helped arrange for 25 families, 149 refugees in all including 62 children, to board a privately-chartered plane in the Kurdistan region of Iraq on Dec. 10, and land in Kosice, Slovakia, where they will be granted asylum within a month.
“We are so proud of Slovakia,” Michele Assad told ABC News “20/20.” “They were very courageous to make this decision and it wasn’t an easy one to make, yet they did. … We hope other countries will have similar courage.”
Iraqi Christian Refugees Share Their Most Treasured Possessions
Tens of thousands Iraqi Christians fled their homes in Qaraqosh in the wake of ISIS attacks. Many ended up in refugee camps, carrying little but their most prized possessions. About 560 refugees ended up at the Mar Elia Chaldean Catholic Church in Erbil, Iraq.
Contracted by the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom, the Assads have spent the past four months forging a close partnership with Father Douglas Bazi at Mar Elia.
“We are rescuing people that are at their most vulnerable, and Christians happen to be part of this group that is the most vulnerable,” Joseph Assad said. “Muslims have other Muslim nations that they can turn to. They can go to other Arab countries. They can resettle there. Christians are having a much more difficult time resettling in some of these Arab countries.”
Glenn Beck's charity, Mercury One’s Nazarene Fund, raised more than $12 million for the evacuation and resettlement efforts. The Assads were managing the risky plan of getting the refugees out of Iraq and finding a country that would grant them asylum so they can start their lives over.
“It is very nerve-wracking because, I mean, you want everything to go right,” Joseph Assad said. “There's a lot of logistics. There are buses. There's luggage. There are airports … coordinating with the authorities.”
Assad, an immigrant to the U.S. from Egypt, said he and his family came to the states after fleeing religious persecution.
Motivated by their own Christian faith and the suffering they have seen, the Assads have made saving the Mar Elia refugees their personal mission.
“It’s about giving these people a chance, like somebody took a chance on me,” he said. “Giving these children hope … allowing these people to leave with dignity.”
For the past few months, the Assads have been coming to Mar Elia, forging friendships, vetting the refugees, gathering visas for them and fighting to find a country to accept them.
Joseph Assad said they tried negotiating with “at least a dozen countries” before Slovakia agreed to take 25 refugee families. “We knocked on a lot of doors,” he said.
Slovakia, a predominantly Catholic country, was ready to accept the families. But after the Paris terrorist attacks on Nov. 13, public sentiment began to shift.
Slovakia agreed to provide asylum for the 149 people. But both the Assads and the Slovakians wanted to be sure that none of the refugees posed a security threat. Building on their own counter-terrorism expertise, the Assads created a special vetting process.
“You have to kind of know what the red flags might be, so you know how to look for them,” Michele Assad said. “We asked for everything about them and their families … their former jobs, whether they have ever … worked for a military or intelligence before.”
Joseph Assad said they were “very confident” they were not rescuing anyone who could be a terrorist.
“These people have been vetted,” he said. “We know 100 percent they are not extremists and that they were desperate, they were vulnerable, and they were in need.”
When the refugees arrived in Slovakia, they were taken to a reception center where they will have to stay for at least six weeks as Slovakian officials conduct health inspections and review visa documents.
Joseph and Michelle Assad told “20/20” the Slovakians should be praised for their hospitality and humanity.
“I tell people, ‘don’t be afraid of refugees.’ There is a way to show compassion and do it intelligently,” Joseph Assad said. “We can show this compassion. So I think there’s a whole lot more that we can do."
