By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
Dutch and German 1%er Motorcycle clubs have joined the fight against ISIS in the besieged Syrian city of Kobane.
The Dutch club “No Surrender” and Germany’s “Median Empire” are reportedly participating in combat roles against ISIS.
Median Empire, which comprises some members of the Kurdish diaspora, has been in the Kurdistan region since at least April of 2014 offering humanitarian aid and support for the ethnic minorities under persecution of ISIS.
No Surrender is a large club in The Netherlands having approximately equal members as that of the Dutch chapter of the Hells Angels.
Oddly, in some respects, the Dutch Government is apparently allowing this to happen. In an interview, Spokesman Wim de Bruin of the Dutch Public Prosecutor’s Office stated, “Joining a foreign armed force was previously punishable. Now it is not forbidden. You just cannot fight against The Netherlands.”
For these German citizens, it is not illegal for them to travel to Syria, but they must not join forces with the PKK, which the German Government currently continues to list as a terrorist organization. The PKK, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, has actively combatted ISIS along with the Peshmerga forces of the Kurdish Autonomous Zone of Northern Iraq.
The government is as various other European governments prohibiting its citizens from joining jihadi terrorist groups in the Middle East to fight on behalf of ISIS.
Two social media posts depict these Motorcycle Club members with military weaponry and proffering to be engaged against ISIS.
~+~
While the number of bikers travelling to Syria for combat are very small in number, such groups of sympathizers might not be as actively reported as jihadists are.
By Darren Smith
Sources:
The views expressed in this posting are the author’s alone and not those of the blog, the host, or other weekend bloggers. As an open forum, weekend bloggers post independently without pre-approval or review. Content and any displays or art are solely their decision and responsibility.
The concept of this being an “idea” is, perhaps, an extreme over simplification. Many people have a tendency to gravitate to doing something to counter their perception of “bad” behavior. To engage in such a process may well not be a choice of theirs. Instead, they would likely have to choose not to participate in the act(s) they undertake, which is also a trait that might allow them to align with a motorcycle club – because of like behaving individuals (without even the articulation of the concept to themselves). Therefore, I suggest that any “plan” associated with this, which could be called an idea, came after the act of some individuals that merely heard a calling (of sorts).
Sqeeks,
It was just another one of your nightmares.
BTW. The word you want is Vietnamese. You do realize there are readers here from Viet Nam, don’t you?
It was a wonderful auto-correct, Karen! “Butts” it is. As in dead. Kaput. Bled out. “I’m shot and my butt is on the ground”.
I think I saw a documentery once about biker gangs fighting the gooks in the Vietnam War. IIRC they were riding Harleys and firing machine guns and bazookas and stuff and really tearing the Commies up.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Great article, Darren! This reminds me of the freedom forces that fought Hitler before the world committed.
Darn auto correct. It was supposed to be “put BOOTS on the ground.”
I’m glad Germany and the Netherlands are taking a sensible approach.
Sometimes it seems like EVERYONE in the Middle East has tried to wipe out the Kurds at one point or another. I imagine the pull must be great for them to return and help. God forbid if Turkey ever became another ISIS, and lost their status as (rather shaky) American ally, there would likely be Armenians from all over the globe pouring in to kick their butt.
There wouldn’t be civilians from Europe joining the fight if the UN or other military forces were effectively fighting ISIS. But when our POTUS keeps revealing the plan that he will not put buts on the ground to combat ISIS, what can they expect? It’s not like he, or any of our allies, are inspiring much confidence that they will save those threatened by ISIS, or prevent them taking over the whole region.
We’ve all been moved by their savage beheadings. The failure to squash them immediately emboldens them that their plan of terror is working, and the region is theres.
I am surprised, myself, at how happy I would be to hear that the executioner, in particular, got a drone strike that reduced him to a pile of grease. I’m really sick of seeing him standing next to his bound, innocent, non-combatant victims like the homicidal maniac coward that he is.
Then you have General Erwin Rommel, “The Desert Fox” Vs General George Patton, “Blood And Guts”.
Many bikers have military experience.
raff, They weren’t sent, they went on their own.
How are these biker gangs “outlaws”? I think of outlaws as law breakers. Bikers do tend to travel in packs, but how does that make them outlaws, when there is no law breaking?
bettykath – if they are 1%ers then they are an outlaw group.
[music]
When you’re a Jet, You’re a Jet!
You’re A Jet all the Way!
From you’re first cigarette
To you’re last dying day.
This nation was founded by citizens taking up arms and repelling the most powerful military force in the world. It’s not the training, it’s the will to win. the Kurds have the will to win and these bikers do as well. I hope they kill a lotta ISIS.
Nick Spinelli
This nation was founded by citizens taking up arms and repelling the most powerful military force in the world. It’s not the training, it’s the will to win. the Kurds have the will to win and these bikers do as well. I hope they kill a lotta ISIS.
on 1, October 19, 2014 at 9:37 am BarkinDog
[music]
When you’re a Jet, You’re a Jet!
You’re A Jet all the Way!
From you’re first cigarette
To you’re last dying day.
on 1, October 19, 2014 at 9:44 am bettykath
raff, They weren’t sent, they went on their own.
How are these biker gangs “outlaws”? I think of outlaws as law breakers. Bikers do tend to travel in packs, but how does that make them outlaws, when there is no law breaking?
I totally agree with all three of you Totally and Eric also.
WWII comparison: The Real Story of the “Dirty Dozen” – The “Filthy Thirteen”
Among the men of HQ Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division during World War II was a group of hard-living and hard-fighting brawlers nicknamed the Filthy Thirteen.
Selected and trained to destroy targets behind enemy lines, they were known for both their courage in battle and their general disregard for rules of any kind.
So when is Obama sending in the Rat Patrol?
Okay, the idea of a biker bar opening in Baghdad is just more than I can handle. However, I do like the Americanization of the area by populating it by adding tons of biker bars. Bikers vs. Morality Police should be must see TV.
It will be interesting to see how a law is crafted that allows Westerners to fight with the Israeli army but no other militant group.
This is a really bad idea.
Are these guys part of the residual force that Obama “tried so hard” to keep the region stabalized?
Or are we having to start over from scratch after Obama ” ended” the war in Iraq?
Oh gee.
What could go wrong?
Sounds like a bad idea to send untrained civilians against a trained forces.
In an interview, Spokesman Wim de Bruin of the Dutch Public Prosecutor’s Office stated, “Joining a foreign armed force was previously punishable. Now it is not forbidden. You just cannot fight against The Netherlands.”
Well, that sounds like progress to me, Great article. Shared. Thanks Darren