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How To Volunteer To Fight ISIS With The Peshmerga In Kurdistan
APRIL 28, 2015
Not a day goes by that someone does not ask for information on how to volunteer to fight ISIS with the Kurds.
This article in no way endorses this organization, nor do we claim to understand US Laws pertaining to fighting for foreign nations. Please do your homework to make sure that you are not breaking US Law and/or affecting your US Citizenship. There are not a bunch of pictures in this article. This is not recruiting, this is strictly informational. This article is for informational purposes only. We are sure there are other ways to go about doing this, this is just one option that has been brought to our attention.
First, know that they are looking for trained and experienced fighters, ie: combat vets. They are NOT looking for “War Tourists”
Second, know the players. Thing’s are not black and white. Between ISIS, the Kurds, Iraqi’s, Shia militias and militant groups from Iran, the YPG/YPJ and the PKK. There are a lot of moving pieces in this conflict, learning as much as possible about them is paramount, especially as an outsider.
Lets look at some of the players:
1. YPG – According to Wikipedia,
The People’s Protection Units (Kurdish: Yekîneyên Parastina Gel; Arabic: وحدات حماية الشعب[3] Wihdat Himayah ash-Sha’ab), commonly known as the YPG, is the armed wing of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Syrian Kurdistan.[4] The group is one of the armed Kurdish forces in Syria[citation needed] and has so far taken a defensive position in the Syrian Civil War,[4][5] fighting against any group that tries to take control of the Kurdish areas.
The group was founded by the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) after the 2004 Qamishli clashes, but it was not active until the Syrian Civil War.[6] Following the signing of the 2012 Arbil Agreement by PYD and the Kurdish National Council (KNC), the YPG came under the formal command of the Kurdish Supreme Committee. However in reality it is almost exclusively still the armed wing of the PYD.[7] The KNC has accused the PYD of using its armed wing as a way to intimidate other Kurdish parties, these allegations include kidnapping, assassinations and the removal of other party flags from public buildings.[8]
The YPG is composed of men and women from communities across the Kurdish region of Syria. The YPG considers itself a democratic people’s army and conducts internal elections as a method of appointing officers.[9] Though predominantly Kurdish, the group has attracted increasing numbers of Arabs, including fighters defecting from the mainstream opposition[10] as well as locals from mixed or Arab villages in YPG-controlled territory who see the group as the best guarantor of regional security;[11] a number of non-Kurdish Christians also fight in YPG ranks, and the militia has close ties to the Assyrian/Syriac Sutoro and Syriac Military Council. They are known for their large number of women fighters.[12]
2. YPJ – according to Wikipedia:
The Women’s Protection Units (Kurdish: Yekîneyên Parastina Jinê), commonly known as the YPJ, are an armed group which was set up in 2012 as “the female brigade of the leftist YPG militia”.[3]The YPG/YPJ are “the armed wing of a Kurdish coalition that has taken de facto control over a sizable chunk of Syria’s predominantly Kurdish north” (called Rojava).[3]
The “all-female militia group grew out of the Kurdish resistance movement”, and it “currently has over 7,000 (or 10,000, according to TeleSUR)[3] volunteer fighters between the ages of 18–40″.[2] They receive “no funding from the international community and the women are reliant on the Kurdish community for supplies and food”.[2] The YPJ has joined its brother organization, the YPG, in fighting against any group that has the intention of bringing the Syrian Civil War to Kurdish inhabited areas. It has come under increased attacks from ISIS militants in Syria and is “currently involved in the fight for the key border town of Kobanî in Syria”.[2]
The group “played a critical role in rescuing the thousands of Yazidis trapped on Mount Sinjar by IS fighters” in August 2014. One fighter emphasized: “we need to control the area ourselves without depending on [the government]… They can’t protect us from [ISIS], we have to protect ourselves [and] we defend everyone…no matter what race or religion they are”.[5]
3. PKK – according to Wikipedia:
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party,[nb 1][nb 2] commonly referred to by its Kurdish acronym, PKK(Partiya Karkerên Kurdistanê)[23] is a Kurdish nationalist organization.
From 1984 to 2013, PKK fought an armed struggle against the Turkish state for cultural and political rights and self-determination for the Kurds in Turkey,[12] who comprise between 10% and 25% of the population and have been subjected to official repression for decades.[24] The group was founded in 1978 in the village of Fis (near Lice) by a group of Kurdish students led by Abdullah Öcalan.[25] The PKK’s ideology was originally a fusion of revolutionary socialism and Kurdish nationalism, seeking the foundation of an independent, Marxist–Leninist state in the region, which was to be known as Kurdistan.
However, since his capture and imprisonment in 1999, the leader of the PKK, Abdullah Öcalan, has abandoned Marxism-Leninism,[26] leading the party to adopt his new political platform of “Democratic Confederalism” (influenced strongly by the libertarian socialist philosophy of communalism) while ceasing its official calls for the establishment of a fully independent country. In May 2007, former members of the PKK helped form the KCK, an umbrella organisation of Kurds from Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria. On 20 March 2005,[27] Öcalan described the need for a democratic confederalism and went on to say:
The democratic confederalism of Kurdistan is not a State system, it is the democratic system of a people without a State… It takes its power from the people and adopts to reach self sufficiency in every field including economy.
In 2013, the PKK declared a ceasefire agreement and began slowly withdrawing its fighters to the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq as part of the so-called “solution process” between the Turkish state and the long-disenfranchised Kurdish minority.
In 2014, the PKK joined battles against ISIS in North Syria and Iraqi Kurdistan with 600 troops which caused politicians worldwide to reconsider the groups position as a terrorist organisation. THAT’S RIGHT, THE PKK IS LISTED BY THE US GOVERNMENT AS A FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION (FTO) so I would think twice before considering joining their fight.
Now that you know who the main players are, here is the intel we have gathered from actual American’s already fighting along side them in Iraqi Kurdistan:
There is an organization called The Peshmerga FRAME program. FRAME claims to be the official operation of the Kurdish Peshmerga Foreigner Registration, Assessment, Management, &Extraction (FRAME) program.
We have spoken to the Leader of FRAME in the United States. He says: We’ve halted the application process for now. But if they’re interested I’d say check us out atwww.peshmergaframe.com or our Facebook page Peshmerga FRAME
According to the FRAME Facebook Page:
“Many articles posted about us are using the terminology “Recruit” “Recruited” and “Recruiting” when referring to FRAME. They also have stated that it is a Peshmerga ran program. This is not the truth. We do not recruit anyone for a foreign entity, government, or armed forces. That is illegal in the United States and is not what we do as a program. We merely assess candidates who volunteer for Peshmerga and assist them in getting over safely.
Contrary to what you may hear, volunteers are just that, volunteers. You will not be paid. You will not be considered a “Mercenary”. You will not be arrested on Departure, Arrival, or Return to the United States unless you commit war crimes.
FRAME Stands For
Foreign
Registration
Assessment
Management
Extraction
Nowhere in there is the word Recruitment used. Please be careful when asking your questions regarding using these words. They put yourself at risk as well as this program.
Yes there are paid positions within FRAME, but the majority of you will not qualify and that is the harsh reality of it. We are not a security corporation or a military. We are a Military Operational Program that is assisting the PUK Peshmerga in bettering their country. Please do not ask about being paid. If your application qualifies to be an Official FRAME Member then we will notify you.
As stated before, we are not taking applications at this time. I have had 200 emails since this last news article and have not reviewed a single one. I am informing everyone to resubmit their applications on 25 May 2015.
Their Operational Expectations page of their site says: “When you come to Kurdistan our team will pick you up at the airport. You will be met by fellow Americans/Brits. You will be securely transported to the barracks. You will spend a minimum of a week with us to shake off the jet lag, train at the range, finish your processing, assign you your weapon and ammunition, and ensure your family at home has all necessary emergency contact information to us (if your loved ones need you for an emergency purpose and they cannot reach you, they may call us as we know where each of you are stationed and we can get the message to you as promptly as possible). Lastly, during this process we will be evaluating your skill set you provided, mental state, and leadership ability.”
Another group worth checking out is the Lions of Rojava. You can visit their Facebook Page here.
Lastly, there is a third group called: Liberty Lions. You can visit their Facebook Page here.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
APRIL 28, 2015
Not a day goes by that someone does not ask for information on how to volunteer to fight ISIS with the Kurds.
This article in no way endorses this organization, nor do we claim to understand US Laws pertaining to fighting for foreign nations. Please do your homework to make sure that you are not breaking US Law and/or affecting your US Citizenship. There are not a bunch of pictures in this article. This is not recruiting, this is strictly informational. This article is for informational purposes only. We are sure there are other ways to go about doing this, this is just one option that has been brought to our attention.
First, know that they are looking for trained and experienced fighters, ie: combat vets. They are NOT looking for “War Tourists”
Second, know the players. Thing’s are not black and white. Between ISIS, the Kurds, Iraqi’s, Shia militias and militant groups from Iran, the YPG/YPJ and the PKK. There are a lot of moving pieces in this conflict, learning as much as possible about them is paramount, especially as an outsider.
Lets look at some of the players:
1. YPG – According to Wikipedia,
The People’s Protection Units (Kurdish: Yekîneyên Parastina Gel; Arabic: وحدات حماية الشعب[3] Wihdat Himayah ash-Sha’ab), commonly known as the YPG, is the armed wing of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Syrian Kurdistan.[4] The group is one of the armed Kurdish forces in Syria[citation needed] and has so far taken a defensive position in the Syrian Civil War,[4][5] fighting against any group that tries to take control of the Kurdish areas.
The group was founded by the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) after the 2004 Qamishli clashes, but it was not active until the Syrian Civil War.[6] Following the signing of the 2012 Arbil Agreement by PYD and the Kurdish National Council (KNC), the YPG came under the formal command of the Kurdish Supreme Committee. However in reality it is almost exclusively still the armed wing of the PYD.[7] The KNC has accused the PYD of using its armed wing as a way to intimidate other Kurdish parties, these allegations include kidnapping, assassinations and the removal of other party flags from public buildings.[8]
The YPG is composed of men and women from communities across the Kurdish region of Syria. The YPG considers itself a democratic people’s army and conducts internal elections as a method of appointing officers.[9] Though predominantly Kurdish, the group has attracted increasing numbers of Arabs, including fighters defecting from the mainstream opposition[10] as well as locals from mixed or Arab villages in YPG-controlled territory who see the group as the best guarantor of regional security;[11] a number of non-Kurdish Christians also fight in YPG ranks, and the militia has close ties to the Assyrian/Syriac Sutoro and Syriac Military Council. They are known for their large number of women fighters.[12]
2. YPJ – according to Wikipedia:
The Women’s Protection Units (Kurdish: Yekîneyên Parastina Jinê), commonly known as the YPJ, are an armed group which was set up in 2012 as “the female brigade of the leftist YPG militia”.[3]The YPG/YPJ are “the armed wing of a Kurdish coalition that has taken de facto control over a sizable chunk of Syria’s predominantly Kurdish north” (called Rojava).[3]
The “all-female militia group grew out of the Kurdish resistance movement”, and it “currently has over 7,000 (or 10,000, according to TeleSUR)[3] volunteer fighters between the ages of 18–40″.[2] They receive “no funding from the international community and the women are reliant on the Kurdish community for supplies and food”.[2] The YPJ has joined its brother organization, the YPG, in fighting against any group that has the intention of bringing the Syrian Civil War to Kurdish inhabited areas. It has come under increased attacks from ISIS militants in Syria and is “currently involved in the fight for the key border town of Kobanî in Syria”.[2]
The group “played a critical role in rescuing the thousands of Yazidis trapped on Mount Sinjar by IS fighters” in August 2014. One fighter emphasized: “we need to control the area ourselves without depending on [the government]… They can’t protect us from [ISIS], we have to protect ourselves [and] we defend everyone…no matter what race or religion they are”.[5]
3. PKK – according to Wikipedia:
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party,[nb 1][nb 2] commonly referred to by its Kurdish acronym, PKK(Partiya Karkerên Kurdistanê)[23] is a Kurdish nationalist organization.
From 1984 to 2013, PKK fought an armed struggle against the Turkish state for cultural and political rights and self-determination for the Kurds in Turkey,[12] who comprise between 10% and 25% of the population and have been subjected to official repression for decades.[24] The group was founded in 1978 in the village of Fis (near Lice) by a group of Kurdish students led by Abdullah Öcalan.[25] The PKK’s ideology was originally a fusion of revolutionary socialism and Kurdish nationalism, seeking the foundation of an independent, Marxist–Leninist state in the region, which was to be known as Kurdistan.
However, since his capture and imprisonment in 1999, the leader of the PKK, Abdullah Öcalan, has abandoned Marxism-Leninism,[26] leading the party to adopt his new political platform of “Democratic Confederalism” (influenced strongly by the libertarian socialist philosophy of communalism) while ceasing its official calls for the establishment of a fully independent country. In May 2007, former members of the PKK helped form the KCK, an umbrella organisation of Kurds from Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria. On 20 March 2005,[27] Öcalan described the need for a democratic confederalism and went on to say:
The democratic confederalism of Kurdistan is not a State system, it is the democratic system of a people without a State… It takes its power from the people and adopts to reach self sufficiency in every field including economy.
In 2013, the PKK declared a ceasefire agreement and began slowly withdrawing its fighters to the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq as part of the so-called “solution process” between the Turkish state and the long-disenfranchised Kurdish minority.
In 2014, the PKK joined battles against ISIS in North Syria and Iraqi Kurdistan with 600 troops which caused politicians worldwide to reconsider the groups position as a terrorist organisation. THAT’S RIGHT, THE PKK IS LISTED BY THE US GOVERNMENT AS A FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION (FTO) so I would think twice before considering joining their fight.
Now that you know who the main players are, here is the intel we have gathered from actual American’s already fighting along side them in Iraqi Kurdistan:
There is an organization called The Peshmerga FRAME program. FRAME claims to be the official operation of the Kurdish Peshmerga Foreigner Registration, Assessment, Management, &Extraction (FRAME) program.
We have spoken to the Leader of FRAME in the United States. He says: We’ve halted the application process for now. But if they’re interested I’d say check us out atwww.peshmergaframe.com or our Facebook page Peshmerga FRAME
According to the FRAME Facebook Page:
“Many articles posted about us are using the terminology “Recruit” “Recruited” and “Recruiting” when referring to FRAME. They also have stated that it is a Peshmerga ran program. This is not the truth. We do not recruit anyone for a foreign entity, government, or armed forces. That is illegal in the United States and is not what we do as a program. We merely assess candidates who volunteer for Peshmerga and assist them in getting over safely.
Contrary to what you may hear, volunteers are just that, volunteers. You will not be paid. You will not be considered a “Mercenary”. You will not be arrested on Departure, Arrival, or Return to the United States unless you commit war crimes.
FRAME Stands For
Foreign
Registration
Assessment
Management
Extraction
Nowhere in there is the word Recruitment used. Please be careful when asking your questions regarding using these words. They put yourself at risk as well as this program.
Yes there are paid positions within FRAME, but the majority of you will not qualify and that is the harsh reality of it. We are not a security corporation or a military. We are a Military Operational Program that is assisting the PUK Peshmerga in bettering their country. Please do not ask about being paid. If your application qualifies to be an Official FRAME Member then we will notify you.
As stated before, we are not taking applications at this time. I have had 200 emails since this last news article and have not reviewed a single one. I am informing everyone to resubmit their applications on 25 May 2015.
Their Operational Expectations page of their site says: “When you come to Kurdistan our team will pick you up at the airport. You will be met by fellow Americans/Brits. You will be securely transported to the barracks. You will spend a minimum of a week with us to shake off the jet lag, train at the range, finish your processing, assign you your weapon and ammunition, and ensure your family at home has all necessary emergency contact information to us (if your loved ones need you for an emergency purpose and they cannot reach you, they may call us as we know where each of you are stationed and we can get the message to you as promptly as possible). Lastly, during this process we will be evaluating your skill set you provided, mental state, and leadership ability.”
Another group worth checking out is the Lions of Rojava. You can visit their Facebook Page here.
Lastly, there is a third group called: Liberty Lions. You can visit their Facebook Page here.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
