A north-east man who left Scotland to fight Islamic State (IS) said he feels “ashamed” that his government has not done more for those suffering in the Middle East.
Alan Duncan criticised politicians at both Westminster and Holyrood who have voiced opposition to the UK taking part in air strikes in Syria,
accusing them of being “hypocritical” and putting “party politics above
humanity”.
And he said that refugees in Syria and Iraq welcomed the air strikes as it was better to the alternative of living under the IS regime.
Last night members of the Labour and SNP parties stated that they still didn’t believe the case for bombing Syria had been made.
The 48-year-old has spent the past year fighting alongside the Peshmerga – the people’s army of Kurdistan – which has proved crucial in the fight against IS after the militants moved east from Syria to take parts of Iraq in 2014. As the Iraqi army retreated, the Peshmerga battled back. While IS went on to gain ground in the Kurdish region, most of this has been taken back by the Peshmerga.
Mr Duncan, who is not paid for his efforts, said previously he had simply been motivated to leave behind the small village where he lives “to do the right thing” and fight alongside the Kurds, who are pushing into IS-held areas and reclaiming territory. Currently their numbers are between 60,000 and 80,000.
FIGHTING FOR ALL FAITHS
Mr Duncan said that the Peshmerga, many of which spent years fighting against Saddam Hussein and it is not unusual to be on the front line with a 60 year old man, are fighting for humanity.
“They are fighting for people of all faiths”, he said.
“They are very secular and very democratic. They are Muslims but faith is a non issue. It’s very much about humanity for them.
“They see Daesh very much like the rest of us. They don’t represent as far as they are concerned Muslims or the Muslim faith, they have hijacked it.”
Mr Duncan, who served with the Royal Irish and Queen’s Own Highlanders regiments, said that while the extremists are fighting with modern weapons, the Peshmerga are getting by with Russian arms from the 60s and 70s – with some even using World War II weapons.
They don’t let it hold them back though. The Peshmerga has gained major ground in the past year and Alan believes the group’s ethos plays a big part of that.
He said it doesn’t matter what rank you have in the army, everyone fights on the front line including brigadier generals.
“In my unit there are two men with missing legs through war,” he said.
“However that kind of sums up the Peshmerga spirit. They are saying I can still fight, I’m fighting for my country, for my people, for humanity. You’ve got guys with missing legs and arms yet they’ll be on the front line fighting. You’ve got top generals on the front line, how many armies can say that? I’m ex British Army, it’s unheard of.”
While back in his home country to re-stock on supplies and kit, Mr Duncan also wants to use his time to bring attention to these men.
He said it was “time to concentrate on the people who are fighting this war” and asked how many stories you see that are about the Peshmerga?
AIRSTRIKES ARE APPRECIATED
“Peshmerga is the barrier between Daesh and Europe, they are holding the line. The very least the west can be doing is truly supporting them. They are the ones fighting this war. They are the ones that are the boots on the ground and fighting for the west. The least the west can do is equip them.”
Something that Mr Duncan says has been a big help for the fighting forces against the IS extremists has been the controversial air strikes from US, French, Russian and now UK Governments.
He said: “The airstrikes are very much appreciated. The air strikes are working, Daesh are surrendering because of air strikes. What you have to remember is Daesh took a lot of Arab towns and villages and a lot of Arabs jumped onto Daesh because they thought that was the winning side. But now they see the writing on the wall. A lot of them are surrendering. I actually look after a lot of Daesh prisoners. They see me and you can see the hate in some of their eyes. But the main thing that you see is that they are tired, they are scared but then they realise that we are treating them well, we’re feeding them, they are sleeping with blankets, we treat them under the Geneva Convention.”
The UK Government voted to join the coalition of airstrikes with a majority of 174 towards the end of last year. Opponents to the decision argued that it would lead to the death of innocent people.
Mr Duncan claims that this is something Syrian and Iraqi citizens understand – and accept.
He said: “I actually speak to not only Iraqi but Syrian refugees. The ones I’ve spoken to understand that yes there could be civilian casualties and yes some of their family members could be killed. However they see that as better than leaving Daesh in place to continue molesting children, raping women and beheading their fathers and sons because that’s what they do.
ASHAMED OF OUR GOVERNMENT
“Sadly it’s war, if a civilian is killed by a Russian or American strike, sorry but it’s not our fault, it’s Daesh’s fault. They shouldn’t have been there, they caused it.
“I’m seeing a lot of complaining about the airstrikes. The fact of the matter is people are talking about something they have no idea about.”
He claimed that when he spoke to Syrian refugees who had heard the result of the vote, they thanked him. He added that he repeatedly gets asked by refugees why the west has abandoned them and he felt ashamed of the UK Government for not doing more.
He added: “I personally feel that parties such as Corbyn’s and in Scotland, the SNP, are putting their clueless party politics above humanity, above the very victims that they are screaming for.
“I feel our MPs and MSPs are misinforming the general public. I really believe that and I believe they are doing it deliberately for their own politics.
“I find the hypocrisy beyond words. In one breath they are shouting and screaming take in more refugees, help these people. Yet in the same breath they are not willing to deal with what the actual problem is. The problem is Daesh. These refugees wouldn’t be coming to the UK or to Europe if it wasn’t for Daesh.
“The first part of the battle is you have to defeat Daesh as a fighting force. By them having all that area gives them in the eyes of many a strength and legitimacy. You cut that off, you cut them off as a fighting force and taking away the attraction to them. You have to do that first.”
He said he believed the UK Government was doing everything it could to keep down civilian casualties and extended an invitation to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to visit the area and he would escort her around the refugee camps.
Brendan O’Hara, SNP defence spokesman, said : “We are all committed to destroying Daesh – it is about how best we do that. Not only has David Cameron been unable to answer questions on where 70,000 ground forces are coming from but he failed to give any insight into any plan on how to stabilise and rebuild the region. We believe the case for bombing Syria has not been made.’’
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “My first priority is the security of Britain and the safety of the British people.
“I did not and do not believe that our Prime Minister made a convincing case that extending UK bombing to Syria would defeat ISIS and not harm civilians.
“It remains unclear what credible and acceptable ground forces in Syria could retake and hold territory freed from ISIS control by an intensified air campaign.
“Nor has it been explained how additional UK bombing in Syria contributes to a comprehensive negotiated political settlement of the Syrian civil war.
“For all these reasons, among others, I continue to be unconvinced that air strikes in Syria will protect our security and promote peace in the region, and therefore cannot support it.”
NOTHING BUT HATE AND ABUSE
Another controversial issue that Mr Duncan believes will help win the fight against the IS militants is the new surveillance powers unveiled by Theresa May towards the end of last year.
The new powers will be given to police and security services, allowing them to access records tracking every UK citizen’s use of the internet with any judicial check.
Mr Duncan, who believes IS will target Britain at some point in a Paris-style attack, said the new laws were vital to stopping that.
He said: “A lot of Daesh’s recruitment is done online. The fact of the matter is that it’s key words, they aren’t going to be checking everything online. Security has to change with the times.
“If the government keeping an eye online saves one life, it’s worth it.”
Following the Paris attacks in November last year, anti-Muslim forces soon lashed out. But Mr Duncan urged people not to do “exactly what Daesh want”.
He said young Muslims living in this country will be pushed towards the Islamic State extremists if they feel “nothing but hate and abuse”.
“It’s like people who join the Ku Klux Klan, they want to be a part of something and with people who are the same as them,” he added.
“The likes of the Paris attack, that’s great propaganda, it makes them look strong.”
Having been in the region for more than a year, and having seen his fair share of horrors, Mr Duncan said you don’t get desensitised to the level of atrocities.
He said one of the hardest things he’s witnessed is the refugees and how little they have been left with.
THEY HAVE NO LIFE
In Kurdistan alone, there is 1.8million refugees – 30% of the population – who have been forced to leave their homes and belongings and live in camps or derelict buildings while many towns and villages have been turned to rubble.
“You can’t become de-sensitised, if you do, there is something wrong with you,” he said.
“Yeah you have to turn a blind eye to a lot of the bodies. The Daesh bodies, they are nothing. You don’t look on them, they got what they deserved, there is zero guilt.
“But the refugees, they have no life. They are forced to live under the Daesh ways. They will come into an area, if they are Yazidi they will kill the men and the old people, and the young girls and women will be papped off as sex slaves. Christians are given choices of converting to Islam, stay and pay the tax or they leave the area with nothing. Slaughter is more against the Yazidis than Muslims and Christians.
“One time we met some kids who had all witnessed their brothers and fathers being killed in front of them and their sisters being raped and dragged off and they were left as basically orphans. In one of the towns, Sinjar, so far there are 16 confirmed mass graves.”
He said among those fleeing their homes were well educated people including teachers and accountants as well as millionaires who have been left with nothing but the clothes on their back.
“Do you think they wanted to leave that life and come to the UK and start all over again?” he added.
Soon Mr Duncan will be returning to Kurdistan to join the latest campaign which includes taking back Mosul, which has been occupied by the Islamic State militants since June 2014.
XBOX WARRIORS
He will be acting as a sniper – one of the many roles he has had since joining the Peshmerga – and believes once Mosul and Tal Afar are taken back, that will be “Daesh finished”.
“It’s going to be a massive defeat and it takes away again their credibility from westerners. By taking back Mosul
you are taking back the country too.
“I’m there till it’s finished. I hope there is a future for me with the Peshmerga long term.”
He is urging people to help the refugees by donating to two charities which are doing a lot of work in the area – The Bazarni Charity Foundation and The Rise Foundation, and warned people not to be fooled by online scams pretending to be charities.
What he is not encouraging, however, is people volunteering for themselves to go over and fight.
Mr Duncan previously hit out at volunteers, which he dubbed “Xbox warriors” claiming they were only looking for their five minutes of fame and “likes” on Facebook.
“Don’t come, you are not needed,” he added.
“It’s not a game. It’s far from a game. They’ll run out of money, the conditions are horrendous, it’s a wake up call. Just don’t go, don’t even contemplate it, you are not wanted. Stay at home. If you want to help make a donation to a charity across there.”