Canadian Expeditionary Force Iraq

"I look at what I'm doing as no different than when thousands of Canadians went to fight the Germans in [the Second World War]. And I think ISIS is far more barbaric (!!!)."
"I just felt it was the right thing to do since [the Kurds are] facing some pretty tough times."
"It's absolutely disgusting [Islamic State]. They don't care that I'm not a Muslim [the peshmerga fighters]; it's a non-issue for them. They're different than the people they're fighting."
"It wasn't terribly difficult [getting in touch with a Kurdish recruiter]. The only thing I was worried about was walking into a trap, but I've confirmed the identities of people."
Dillon Hiller, former Canadian military personnel

Facebook   Dillon Hillier, 26, a former Canadian solider who has gone to Iraq to help the Kurds fight ISIS.

"Each of them has to buy their own kit before they leave. And that gets quite expensive."
"We're just kind of a central authority to help guys out. As long as nobody's being trained here [in Canada], as long as we're not forming any militia, it's all in bounds."
Ian Bradbury, 1st North American Expeditionary Force spokesman

Dillon Hillier decided to give short shrift to the Alberta construction job that he took up when he left the Canadian military after five years of service, with time serving in Afghanistan as a combat adviser to the Afghan National Army. He'd cited in the news item describing his mission as being aware of history, accounting for his knowledge of the Kurdish struggle for a homeland of their own. One is tempted to add that his history hasn't included a study of Nazi Germany, the Third Reich and the Holocaust if he is of the opinion that ISIS is more barbaric than the fascist Axis led by Germany.

No matter, he sees an injustice unfolding and feels compelled to respond. And that's just what he's doing. Reminiscent in part of the International Brigade pre-WWII when anti-fascists from all over North America and Western Europe embarked for Franco's Spain in a united effort to combat fascism as practised by General Francisco Franco's Falangists, supported by fascist Germany and Italy. There was an estimated 20,000 foreign combatants representing 53 countries in that conflict, 1936-39; it is not likely this conflict will see a response of that magnitude.

Although it's more than likely that up to that number will eventually gather in aid of the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham, which is using its professional-type propaganda to extol the virtues of foreign fighters dedicated to its vision of an Islamic Caliphate, highlighting the heroic foreign fighters decapitating unfortunate Syrian military personnel and American and British aid workers striving to bring comfort and humanitarian aid to displaced, indigent homeless Syrian civilians.

The group that named itself the (non-profit) 1st North American Expeditionary Force has recognized a need to represent the aspirations of retired members of the Canadian military who may wish to travel to Iraq to aid the Kurds, and aims to fulfill it by helping to provide donated clothing and equipment, discount airfares and "verified contacts" with peshmerga units. Dillon Hillier had been assisted by he group to ensure his peshmerga contacts were legitimate.

Dillon Hillier, now arrived among the Kurdish peshmerga and awaiting the opportunity to join them in combat against the Islamic State jihadis is anticipating that others will feel as he does, and begin to arrive in coming weeks as volunteers, from Canada, the United States and Sweden. In Canada, an Ottawa military veteran formed a the group to provide financial and logistical support to those decommissioned military members who feel it incumbent upon themselves to share what they know with those who need it.

Alert to the potential to have others willing to come to their aid, a peshmerga Facebook page offers tips to volunteers from the West, recommending travel routes and how much cash to plan to bring along ($5,000). A potential volunteer must be aware that he will be just that; a volunteer, no salary would be forthcoming, and any who come along must be prepared to fund themselves. They are free agents in a sense, not quite mercenaries since the mercenary profit-motive is absent.

Ahmed Deeb/AFP/Getty Images    Kurdish Peshmerga fighters rest during fighting against ISIS group on Nov. 8, 2014 in the besieged Syrian border town of Kobani.

This is a mission to help an embattled people survive a ruthless onslaught whose intent is to drive them out of their homeland, to take possession of all they have, and in the process to capture and enslave women and murder men who oppose them. "It would help if you have some former basic military training or experience", cautions the Facebook page. Warning not to bring along weapons, but to plan to access them at their destination, the local bazaars where AK-47s, M16s, and M4s can be had for between $700 to $4,000.

An associate professor of political science at University of Waterloo gave her opinion of the enterprise's lawfulness; not illegal to fight in a foreign conflict. The unlawful element is represented by the intention by some to travel abroad for the purpose of taking part in terrorism; clearly not the intention of those like Mr. Hillier whose plan of participatory combat action is to oppose terrorism.