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.
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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.
maxcat06: “What better motivation SHOULD there be than the defense of your own country? That’s what stumps me …”
I haven’t heard a satisfactory answer to that question and I’ve heard it asked to Middle East experts. The answers have pretty much amounted to vague ‘That’s not how it works over there’.
Saddam’s actions in 1990-1991 were a clearer, more urgent danger, yet while they mustered for the Gulf War, they did so only in limited support of the US-led intervention as the main fighting force. They seem to be waiting again for the US to take the lead, go in to solve the problem, and support us to whatever degree they might.
Andrea, A great DAR comment.
Nick Spinelli: “The Iraqi troops who cut and ran were “well trained.””
Not well led, though.
The same Iraqi soldiers who fought well enough when shoulder to shoulder with American soldiers failed against ISIS because we left too soon to plant a leadership culture and Maliki further corrupted the officer corps through political selection.
Recall that the Iraqi military didn’t have a stellar track record prior to and under Saddam, which is a reason he believed Iraq needed WMD and the perception of WMD, and he defied the Gulf War ceasefire UNSC resolutions even in the “final opportunity to comply” (UNSCR 1441) with Iraq’s disarmament obligations under credible threat of regime change..
It’s not just Iraq. There’s a reason that the US military has remained in Europe and Asia decades since WW2. American military boots on the ground make a fundamental difference to making and keeping peace.
That said, US military history has examples of bad (or just inexperienced) leadership, too. We’ve had our share of catastrophic failures, such as Kasserine Pass in WW2. It’s axiomatic in the Army that when missing good leadership, good soldiers (with good equipment) can’t function as an effective fighting unit. Unfortunately, when our troops left Iraq, although we provided Iraq trained soldiers and good equipment, we effectively removed the Iraqi military’s leadership. That scales up.
The possibility that these bikers may lack military training is not necessarily determinative of their military ability, or level of helpfulness to the anti-ISIS cause. For example, my ancestors Michael Kelchner, Abraham Flory, John Troxel, Benjamin Dole, and William Morlan, were all farmers who took up arms during the Revolutionary War. We all know which side ‘won’ that war… So much for German Hessian talent.
maxcat, LOL! I can still hear Chevy Chase announcing on SNL weekend update, “This just in, Generalissimo Francisco is still dead.”
sqeek
So the girl who uses a racial slur calls the protester a racist. Fabulous. Very Orwellian.
Now all we need is another lecture on those of us who have Values and Codes and are blessed by god, and the rest of us are going straight to hell. Or something.
Seamus – There’s really no difference. The U.S. government was actually on Franco’s side and encouraged the fight against fascism. They, I believe, got a bit squeamish once Hitler decided to aid Franco, but then again “Francisco Franco is still dead.”
@DocMad
When we were fighting the Germans, they were Krauts. Therefore, if would be racial discrimination to not refer to the Vietnamese during the time we were fighting them as gooks. You need to work on your White Paternalistic attitude stuff. It is very unbecoming. And racist.
Plus, I found a trailer for the documentary!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSao8TX-SwY
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
seamus, One of many great historical examples.
max, I do concur w/ you that the people who should be fighting are not.
Nick – What better motivation SHOULD there be than the defense of your own country? That’s what stumps me, the Saudis, Turks, Lebanese, Iraqis, fill-in-the-blanks should be armed to the teeth and fighting. The other problem I have, and it always happens in that region, is the whole “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” business, as we are now, basically, helping Assad in Syria. It’s a jigsaw puzzle where someone comes in midway and re-cuts the pieces in different shapes. Your baseball analogy is great, but if defense of one’s country doesn’t cut it, I don’t know what will.
What’s the difference between these people and the foreigners (many of them Americans) who went to Spain to fight the fascists?
max, The Iraqi troops who cut and ran were “well trained.” You love and understand sports. I coached baseball for over 30 years, played baseball and football in my youth. It is the MOTIVATION, the heart, that matters. I would much rather have a battler on my team w/ lesser skills than a “well trained” athlete w/ a horseshit attitude, a quitter.
“Players w/ fight never lose a game, they just run out of time.” John Wooden
raff, As I stated originally, there is a long history of citizens fighting in battle. With your mindset we would still be a British colony. There are many other examples from the French resistance to the Viet Cong. Leaving war to “the experts” didn’t work well in Viet Nam, did it?
Nick –
Your analogy to fighting in the Revolutionary War is good to a point, but in that case, we (the colonists) were the only ‘troops’ available. We finally got some of the French on our side, but later on in the war. What really galls me is that the countries most affected by ISIS are doing little, particularly Turkey. They just recently decided that they “could” lend a hand, even if it might help the Kurds. Hell, ISIS is on their border, and they were standing back “assessing” the situation. I would hate to involve U.S. troops again when there ARE nations in the region who, again, won’t defend themselves. I fear for untrained men. French resistance to the Viet Cong was, again, a colony defending themselves, as, at the time, France still believed it had sovereignty over Vietnam. If the French continued to fight afterwards, I stand corrected, as I’m not fully versed on their involvement once it left French control.
Nick – don’t forget the “International” brigades infused with the Communist furor.
The problem is the possibility of these men killing innocents in error. They don’t know the culture. They don’t know the language. Walking dupes.
Nick,
I am not discounting these men’s intentions, I suggesting that allowing civilians into a war zone is not a good idea tactically or from a safety of these well meaning individuals. Their inexperience or their errors could cost other lives as well.
raff, I agree it’s probably a mistake.
It is not “bound” to be a mistake. It was a mistake to call iSIS the “JV.” It’s a mistake for us to not be giving the Kurds the weapons they need. These men are putting their lives on the line to help the very worthy Kurds. It’s THEIR lives. God Bless these men.
http://abc7chicago.com/news/racine-man-injured-fighting-isis-with-kurdish-militia/350716/
Racine WI man saves own money to go fight ISIS with the Kurds, is injured.
bettykath,
I realize that they were not sent in, but it is bound to be a mistake. Even if they have military experience.