Thebest21
20-09-2016, 15:46
Meet the American YPG volunteer protesting outside of Biden’s house
Robert Amos served as a volunteer in the People’s Protection Units (YPG–the largest Kurdish armed group in Syria–in 2015. Like hundreds of other foreign volunteers, he joined the group to fight Daesh (ISIS), despite him having no military experience. “I saw stories of...killing men and selling women into sexual slavery,” Amos told Al Bawaba from his DC hotel room. “Seemed like there was something we should do.”
As he was part of the infantry, Amos knows some of the 18 foreign volunteers who have died fighting Daesh with the YPG. And at a speech by US Vice President Joe Biden in Cleveland on September 1, Amos attended with this in mind. “My friends died," Amos shouted before publicly calling out Biden for forcing the YPG to withdraw from west of the Euphrates. Biden responded by promising Amos a meeting after the speech to discuss the issue.
However, Amos says the meeting never materialized, and is now protesting in Washington, DC to get his promised facetime with Biden and draw attention to the YPG’s cause at the same time.
Al Bawaba spoke to Amos to get his story on what exact went down with Biden. “Outside I spoke to (Biden’s) staff. They said I would meet with him. Then they said the vice president is busy, so I gave them my number,” said Amos. “It would be pretentious to expect a meeting with the vice president under normal circumstances, but his word should mean something.”
Amos did not simply journey from his midwestern home to Washington just for the meeting, however. He also intends to draw greater attention to the YPG’s present situation in Syria.
“I want to get this issue politicized into the election,” Amos said, referring to Turkey’s incursion into Syrian territory by way of Jarablus. “Turkey falsely labelled it a Free Syrian Army (FSA) operation. But there’s no fighting of Assad; they’re there to fight the YPG.”
Turkey entered Jarablus in late August and assisted rebel groups to take the town from Daesh. Others too have speculated they also did so to counter the YPG’s presence in the area, which lies west of the Euphrates. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)–of which the YPG is the largest participant–took Manbij from Daesh in August, and Manbij is west of the Euphrates.
Amos was outraged when the US asked the YPG to withdraw from this area as Turkey–a NATO ally–demanded. “Only Turkey complained (about the YPG's presence). Biden said that area the YPG liberated had to be given back. But it was paid for in American blood. And almost 1,000 Kurds died,” he said. This sentiment, and his promised meeting with the vice president, led him to go to Washington.
Amos claims to have joined the YPG in 2015, and stayed for around 6 months before returning home to the US. He received some combat training by his own admission, but wishes he received more.
The YPG accepts foreign volunteers for a variety of reasons. Some bring valuable experience from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to the group. Others claim the YPG seeks the media attention the foreign volunteers bring to their cause and the plight of Syrian Kurds.
Albeit in a different manner, Amos believes he is continuing his fight against Daesh by demonstrating in Washington, and is spending time protesting outside the US Capitol building and the vice president’s official residence at the Naval Observatory.
“I’ll keep this up as long as I have to, “ said Amos. “Peacefully and legally.”
http://www.albawaba.com/loop/meet-american-ypg-volunteer-protesting-outside-biden%E2%80%99s-house-884004
Robert Amos served as a volunteer in the People’s Protection Units (YPG–the largest Kurdish armed group in Syria–in 2015. Like hundreds of other foreign volunteers, he joined the group to fight Daesh (ISIS), despite him having no military experience. “I saw stories of...killing men and selling women into sexual slavery,” Amos told Al Bawaba from his DC hotel room. “Seemed like there was something we should do.”
As he was part of the infantry, Amos knows some of the 18 foreign volunteers who have died fighting Daesh with the YPG. And at a speech by US Vice President Joe Biden in Cleveland on September 1, Amos attended with this in mind. “My friends died," Amos shouted before publicly calling out Biden for forcing the YPG to withdraw from west of the Euphrates. Biden responded by promising Amos a meeting after the speech to discuss the issue.
However, Amos says the meeting never materialized, and is now protesting in Washington, DC to get his promised facetime with Biden and draw attention to the YPG’s cause at the same time.
Al Bawaba spoke to Amos to get his story on what exact went down with Biden. “Outside I spoke to (Biden’s) staff. They said I would meet with him. Then they said the vice president is busy, so I gave them my number,” said Amos. “It would be pretentious to expect a meeting with the vice president under normal circumstances, but his word should mean something.”
Amos did not simply journey from his midwestern home to Washington just for the meeting, however. He also intends to draw greater attention to the YPG’s present situation in Syria.
“I want to get this issue politicized into the election,” Amos said, referring to Turkey’s incursion into Syrian territory by way of Jarablus. “Turkey falsely labelled it a Free Syrian Army (FSA) operation. But there’s no fighting of Assad; they’re there to fight the YPG.”
Turkey entered Jarablus in late August and assisted rebel groups to take the town from Daesh. Others too have speculated they also did so to counter the YPG’s presence in the area, which lies west of the Euphrates. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)–of which the YPG is the largest participant–took Manbij from Daesh in August, and Manbij is west of the Euphrates.
Amos was outraged when the US asked the YPG to withdraw from this area as Turkey–a NATO ally–demanded. “Only Turkey complained (about the YPG's presence). Biden said that area the YPG liberated had to be given back. But it was paid for in American blood. And almost 1,000 Kurds died,” he said. This sentiment, and his promised meeting with the vice president, led him to go to Washington.
Amos claims to have joined the YPG in 2015, and stayed for around 6 months before returning home to the US. He received some combat training by his own admission, but wishes he received more.
The YPG accepts foreign volunteers for a variety of reasons. Some bring valuable experience from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to the group. Others claim the YPG seeks the media attention the foreign volunteers bring to their cause and the plight of Syrian Kurds.
Albeit in a different manner, Amos believes he is continuing his fight against Daesh by demonstrating in Washington, and is spending time protesting outside the US Capitol building and the vice president’s official residence at the Naval Observatory.
“I’ll keep this up as long as I have to, “ said Amos. “Peacefully and legally.”
http://www.albawaba.com/loop/meet-american-ypg-volunteer-protesting-outside-biden%E2%80%99s-house-884004