‘No Rambos’: What foreigners ought to do if they need to combat ISIS in Syria and Iraq

This today’s email arrives in my inbox several weeks when I had first contacted the YPG, a Kurdish militia which has been instrumental inside the destruction of Islamic nation’s so-known as caliphate in Syria.
along with its stark warnings, my new message carries journey commands, in which it’s miles defined I ought to make my way to Baghdad in Iraq on a one-way ticket, earlier than heading for any other Iraqi city, which 9 has chosen not to reveal.
as a substitute, driven by curiosity, I simply wanted to find out what I needed to do – and how tough it might be – to enroll in the YPG’s fight towards the evil ISIS.

Enlisting with the YPG, that’s an acronym that loosely interprets to the people’s protection units, did now not look like a case of without a doubt signing on the dotted line.

diverse backward and forward messages over encrypted e-mail to a faceless individual inside the YPG appeared designed to simultaneously screen me, teach me and analyse my intentions.

And from the very first touch, the YPG made it clean that they have been not an military for Muslim haters or people harbouring Rambo fantasies.
i exploit the phrase ‘human beings’ because girls are endorsed to enroll in and fight for the YPG.

Spawned out of the Syrian civil warfare, the YPG has lengthy standard foreigners who need to combat ISIS – and, if essential, conflict Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s navy and the Turkish nation.

even though it is a crook offence for Australian residents to get worried in the conflicts in Iraq and Syria, various men have flouted the regulation and joined the YPG.

Gold Coast man Reece Harding, elderly just 23, secretly travelled to Syria in 2015 to fight ISIS, and become killed by means of a landmine numerous months after becoming a member of Kurdish forces.

further, Western Australian dad Jamie bright, 45, become fatally shot in 2016 even as preventing ISIS, 17 months after joining the YPG.

And Brisbane man Ashley Dyball, 25, returned to Australia in overdue 2015 after a six-month excursion of duty with the YPG in Syria.

it’s far in all likelihood Harding, brilliant and Dyball all made contact with the YPG through the net, just as I did.

based on commands on an smooth-to-find website installation for potential overseas recruits I opened an encrypted electronic mail account and send my first mail to a precise deal with.

much less than 72 hours later, I obtained a reply.

I don’t know what i was waiting for however the length and breadth of the message surprised me.

the e-mail in brief outlined the philosophies of Kurdish nationalist chief Abdullah Öcalan, who has been imprisoned with the aid of Turkey considering 1999, and whose perspectives shape the rallying cry of the YPG.

i’m advised approximately how the YPG protects a place of northern Syria known as Rojava, populated via the Kurds. It info the YPG’s conflicts with the “facist” Turkish kingdom, al-Assad’s Syrian forces and Daesh (ISIS).

Gold Coast guy Reece Harding died after stepping on a landmine even as fighting with the Kurdish YPG fighting to defeat Islamic kingdom. (AAP)
Gold Coast guy Reece Harding died after stepping on a landmine while combating with the Kurdish YPG scuffling with to defeat Islamic kingdom. (AAP)
there is a nod to Reece Harding and Jamie brilliant and different foreign “martyrs” from Germany to Australia.

“Rojava is not a place for distinctive excursion trips or for adventures,” the email states, turning to the motive I and other foreigners have made touch.

“You might not be combating here for money.

“We don’t want folks who assume that they’re Rambo – and please no Fascists.

“Rojava isn’t an adventure park, this struggle isn’t a Hollywood film …YPG isn’t always a place for those who like to kill people due to their beliefs and identities.”

the e-mail then lists greater than 100 questions I should solution. they also requested what passport I carried, and if I had a facebook account i was to ship them a hyperlink to it.

“The more we recognize you, the more you may be knowledgeable approximately our principles, our expectations and about the challenges you may face,” a faceless YPG member explains.