Secret 'Brains Trust' Devises New Plans to Rescue ISIS Brides from Syrian Camp
A Western Sydney doctor who participated in a failed attempt to extract Australian ISIS brides and their children from a Syrian detention camp has revealed that a newly formed 'brains trust' is quietly working on fresh strategies to bring them home. Dr Jamal Rifi, who traveled to Syria last month as part of an effort to repatriate 11 Australian women and their 23 children, stated that the push to return the families continues despite the collapse of the initial mission and escalating conflict in the region.
Families Remain Trapped in Harsh Conditions at al-Roj Camp
Speaking from Lebanon this week, Dr Rifi confirmed the families remain trapped at the al-Roj camp in northeastern Syria, where thousands linked to the Islamic State are held under severe conditions. 'They are in a waiting game,' he told The Sunday Telegraph. 'We have a plan A with about a 90 per cent chance of success, and plans B and C, which are riskier and more difficult. But their safety - getting them home - is our priority.'
Dr Rifi was one of four Australians who traveled to Damascus in February, carrying 35 passports in the hope of securing the group's release. The mission failed, triggering a political storm in Australia. Days later, regional tensions intensified as the conflict between Israel, Hezbollah and other armed groups escalated, further narrowing options for extraction.
Government Opposition and National Security Concerns
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese swiftly ruled out government involvement, saying he had 'no sympathy' for women who traveled to ISIS territory during the height of the caliphate. 'They went there to support an organisation that sought to destroy our way of life,' he said at the time.
Dr Rifi said the crisis inside the camp is worsening, and he continues to provide remote medical support, including advising on a recent tooth extraction that required antibiotics. He emphasized that neither the federal government nor Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke had any involvement in February's attempt, adding: 'We knew they weren't offering help.'
Logistical Challenges and Alternative Pathways
Syrian airspace remains closed and Gulf transit routes have been disrupted, making any organised operation exceedingly difficult. Dr Rifi, currently in his hometown of Tripoli in northern Lebanon, said the 'brains trust', a small advisory group with regional and logistical expertise, is assessing alternative pathways, though their feasibility depends on the war in the region.
Last month, the federal government confirmed families linked to ISIS may return to Australia 'by their own means' but will receive no assistance or official repatriation. The policy was confirmed during a Senate estimates hearing on February 10.
Political Backlash and National Security Debate
Opposition Home Affairs spokesperson Jonathon Duniam condemned the policy as a 'gross neglect of national security', saying the government had left the return of 'a dangerous cohort' to third parties. 'For the sake of national security, the government must take control of this situation before it's too late,' he said.
For now, the women and children remain stranded - caught between war, geopolitics and a deeply divided Australia still debating whether they should ever be allowed to return. The secretive 'brains trust' continues its work, navigating complex logistical and political hurdles in a bid to bring the families home despite overwhelming odds.
