Canadian Joins Kurds to fight ISIS

[undercoverbrother]

http://ww2.nationalpost.com/m/wp/blo...ht-thing-to-do

Dillon Hillier was working construction in Alberta when ISIS gunmen began their brutal push into Kurdish territory. A veteran of the Canadian mission in Afghanistan, he decided he couldn’t just watch it happen.
Last weekend, the 26-year-old infantryman left Calgary and flew to northeastern Iraq to help Kurdish fighters fend off the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham. “I just felt it was the right thing to do since they’re facing some pretty tough times,” he said in an interview.

It’s absolutely disgusting,” Mr. Hillier said of ISIS. By contrast, he said the Kurds were broad-minded and tolerant. “They don’t care that I’m not a Muslim, it’s a non-issue for them. They’re different than the people they’re fighting.”
Through Facebook, he found a contact who put him in touch with a Peshmerga recruiter. “It wasn’t terribly difficult,” he said in an interview before he left. “The only thing I was worried about was walking into a trap, but I’ve confirmed the identities of people.”
In a sign of the increased interest in fighting alongside the Kurds, a Peshmerga Facebook page now offers tips for Western volunteers, suggesting travel routes and how much cash to bring (US$5,000). Volunteers shouldn’t expect to get paid, it said, but are free to leave whenever they wish.
While it warned not to bring weapons, it said AK-47s cost $700 to $2,000 at the local bazaars and M-16s and M-4s went for $3,000 to $4,000. But that could be recouped by selling them later, it added. “It would help if you have some former basic military training or experience.”
Veronica Kitchen, an associate professor of political science at the University of Waterloo, said it was not illegal to fight in a foreign conflict — although traveling abroad to participate in terrorism would be against the law.

When your dad is the former CDS, you gotta a lot to live up to.

[Ozy_Flame]

He better be careful. The Kurdish Workers Party is a registered terrorist group in Canada. He better hope that doesn't come back to bite him in the ass. Tough SOB though.

[CaptainYooh]

I don't like these announcements. Yes, the intention looks good but, in pure principle, they are no different than Canadians going to fight for ISIS or any other rogue groups. This is not our war. There is something wrong in the idea of a Canadian citizen going to fight as part of another country's army or another people's army against another country's army or another people's army. I understand the concept and underlying value of UN peacekeeping force, but this is not it. The country (Canada) has a duty to protect its citizens abroad. People going to fight overseas on their own accord expose their own country to various risks and liabilities associated with saving and protecting them when they get in trouble. They have no right to do so without renouncing their Canadian citizenship, first, I believe.

[Flamenspiel]

^^I don;t agree with that. Our Country(Canada) has chosen sides in this battle, taking sides with ISIS is effectively and legally treasonous and anyone doing so is taking up arms against Canada. Fighting on the same side from another geography or military unit but effectively with Canada is not treasonous.

Prior to US entering the second world war many US citizens joined the Canadian and British Army to fight the Germans, to me that's a parallel or similar scenario.

[Bill Bumface]

You can't assure that Kurdish forces are held to the same ethical standards as the Canadian Forces.

The idea doesn't sit right with me either. What if Kurds later go on some genocidal rampage?

There were times where it may have looked like going to fight with the Croats was a noble thing to do. Later on in that war I bet most Canadians wouldn't want anyone from our country associated with those forces.

I'd much prefer he fought with Canadian or UN forces.

On the other hand, what's fundamentally different between this and the French Foreign Legion?

[CaptainCrunch]

I'm really torn on this. We know that ISIS are the biggest murdering scumbags out there and they need to be buried 6 feet deep and the earth over them salted. But Hulk brings up the same questions that I have.

I guess the key difference is that the Kurds are not fighting the West they're relying on the West for help and arms and supplies, but people going over their to fight without the constraints that are put on them when they for example join the Canadian army is troubling to me.

Its not that different I guess then the French Foreign Legion example, except you don't join the french foreign legion to fight a specific battle, and it is a professional military with a ethical code so to speak.

[sharkov]

I see nothing wrong with this. Canada and the Kurds have a common enemy

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Flamenspiel

^^I don;t agree with that. Our Country(Canada) has chosen sides in this battle, taking sides with ISIS is effectively and legally treasonous and anyone doing so is taking up arms against Canada. Fighting on the same side from another geography or military unit but effectively with Canada is not treasonous.

Prior to US entering the second world war many US citizens joined the Canadian and British Army to fight the Germans, to me that's a parallel or similar scenario.

I think he just needs to be careful about who he is really fighting for. Fighting for or with "Kurds" is pretty vague. It's not as simple as "good guys" (Kurds) against "bad guys" (ISIS). Most wars have people on both sides capable of doing bad things and some Kurdish factions have in the past, committed acts of terrorism.

If he goes over there and ends up with some irregular militia group that commits war crimes, he could be screwed. Signing up with a militia that recruits through Facebook sounds like a bad idea to me.

The trouble with foreign volunteers and even local mercenary groups, is that you inevitably get a number of thrill killers signing up. Add to the fact that they aren't getting paid, it is only a matter of time until property crimes and looting occur.

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by sharkov

I see nothing wrong with this. Canada and the Kurds have a common enemy

USA didn't see anything wrong helping mujahedin in 1982. They had a common enemy in USSR. Then those same mujahedin started Al-Qaeda.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

USA didn't see anything wrong helping mujahedin in 1982. They had a common enemy in USSR. Then those same mujahedin started Al-Qaeda.

That's not hyper acurate. AL Qaeda came from the Mujahadeen foreign fighters, the imports from Pakistan and the other gulf states including Bin Laden. the foreign fighters were the roots of Al Qaeda.

They didn't accept money or arms from America they thought it would sully the purity of their cause.

the American's armed and funded the local Mujahadeen that later morphed into the Taliban, they looked at the foreign fighters during the war with the Russians with a great deal of disdain.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

That's not hyper acurate. AL Qaeda came from the Mujahadeen foreign fighters, the imports from Pakistan and the other gulf states including Bin Laden. the foreign fighters were the roots of Al Qaeda.

They didn't accept money or arms from America they thought it would sully the purity of their cause.

the American's armed and funded the local Mujahadeen that later morphed into the Taliban, they looked at the foreign fighters during the war with the Russians with a great deal of disdain.

Didn't the Taliban also arise out of the Pakistan/India conflict as well? That was my understanding.

[mariners_fever]

I know this guy and his family. Godspeed to him.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Didn't the Taliban also arise out of the Pakistan/India conflict as well? That was my understanding.

No, they arose during the civil war for Afghanistan after the Soviets left basically as a local militia organized by Mullah Omar.

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

That's not hyper acurate. AL Qaeda came from the Mujahadeen foreign fighters, the imports from Pakistan and the other gulf states including Bin Laden. the foreign fighters were the roots of Al Qaeda.

They didn't accept money or arms from America they thought it would sully the purity of their cause.

the American's armed and funded the local Mujahadeen that later morphed into the Taliban, they looked at the foreign fighters during the war with the Russians with a great deal of disdain.

Fair enough. Did it make the result any better though? No. How do we know what would Kurd fighters do if they win? What would a good Canadian guy do if the fighters in his squad gang rape a woman from a taken village or behead a captivated enemy publicly? Would he try to stop them or close his eyes and choose not to notice? What would Canada need to do if he gets wounded in combat and his family starts calling Ottawa for help? As I said earlier this is not our war nor a UN–authorized peacekeeping mission. Canadian citizens should stay out of it.

[opendoor]

Yeah, I think people (not here necessarily, but in general) are really glossing over some of the more unseemly aspects of Kurdish society. Just like in other parts of the Middle East, discrimination against women, honor killings, etc. are pretty normal, especially outside of the cities.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I'm really torn on this. We know that ISIS are the biggest murdering scumbags out there and they need to be buried 6 feet deep and the earth over them salted. But Hulk brings up the same questions that I have.

I guess the key difference is that the Kurds are not fighting the West they're relying on the West for help and arms and supplies, but people going over their to fight without the constraints that are put on them when they for example join the Canadian army is troubling to me.

Its not that different I guess then the French Foreign Legion example, except you don't join the french foreign legion to fight a specific battle, and it is a professional military with a ethical code so to speak.

It's extremely common for Canadians with dual citizenship to have military service and training with foreign armies.

You do have a point about his not being a professional military though, and the added risks that go along with that. However, if you look at the history of the Kurds, it's oppression which is keeping them from forming a country and setting up a professional military.

That being said, the risk of this conflict escalating into a tit for tat revenge killing situation is huge. Although it's possible that a Canadian soldier among them could act as a moral and stabilizing force....yeah mixed feelings on this one.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

USA didn't see anything wrong helping mujahedin in 1982. They had a common enemy in USSR. Then those same mujahedin started Al-Qaeda.

That happened because the US bailed out on them when it came to providing them humanitarian aid.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Azure

That happened because the US bailed out on them when it came to providing them humanitarian aid.

That and Saudi Arabia has spent untold amounts of money exporting religious fanaticism.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

You can't assure that Kurdish forces are held to the same ethical standards as the Canadian Forces.

The idea doesn't sit right with me either. What if Kurds later go on some genocidal rampage?

There were times where it may have looked like going to fight with the Croats was a noble thing to do. Later on in that war I bet most Canadians wouldn't want anyone from our country associated with those forces.

I'd much prefer he fought with Canadian or UN forces.

On the other hand, what's fundamentally different between this and the French Foreign Legion?

Thanked for the highlighted paragraph.

[peter12]

Reminds me of Xenophon and the Ten Thousand.