Kurdish Militias in Northeastern Syria Commit ISIS-like Atrocities in NE Syria (Part I)

in #news6 years ago

AL QAMISHLI, SYRIA (War Report) — Over the past few weeks, multiple independent on-the-ground sources have provided and corroborated information regarding disturbing events taking place in and around the Al Hassakah governorate in northeastern Syria.

One of the most startling allegations made is that the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been arresting and kidnapping men aged 18 to 40 in the Al Hassakah governorate, which includes Al Qamishli and other towns under their control. 

They are taking these men against their will to Kurdish militia training camps, where they will stay for some time and receive training before being forced to fight in the so-called “New Syrian Army” or “North Syrian Army.” I was told that some of these men are being taken to the front lines to fight in Afrin as well. 

According to RT, in late December:

Russia’s Reconciliation Center for Syria issued a statement accusing the U.S.-led coalition of creating the so-called ‘New Syrian Army.’ The group comprises remnants of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), the Al-Nusra Front and others, and is based at a refugee camp in north-east Syria, which is located 20 kilometers from Al-Shaddadah town. Local refugees, returning to areas freed from IS, say the refugee camp has been used by the coalition as a training ground for militants for over six months.” 

Surge in kidnapping by Kurdish YPG and Asayesh

Eddie Gaboro Hanna — founder of Patriarchal Relief Care Australia, a group that provides aid to Christian families impacted by wars in Syria and Iraq — stated on January 20th, that a few days prior:

The Kurds started a new operation [whereby] they are taking young Christian boys by force to sign them up for the Kurdish military & send them to the front line at Afrin where a new battle has just commenced with Turkey on the border. … I’m with Sootoro now. That’s who I stay with — the good Sootoro of course, not the Kurdish one (Sutoro). Pretty much the Christians are treated as second-class citizens [here] in their own land. … Just like how ISIS has the Islamic tax they have their own Kurdish one. They’ve replaced ISIS.”

In late January I was able to question Eddie in detail about his role and his view of these events:

Sarah Abed (SA): Can you tell me about yourself, your mission, and why you are in Syria?

Eddie Gaboro Hanna (EGH): I’m the founder of Patriarchal Relief Care Australia. For the past five years I’ve been organizing fundraising events and sending funds to our Patriarchal diocese in Damascus, to be dispersed to the most needy Christians suffering in war zones in Syria and  Iraq.

I’m now on my second aid mission to Syria and am working on projects such as repairing damaged and bombed homes of displaced families, in hopes they can return to their homes. I’m also aiding over 400 orphans and over 160 widows, as well as purchasing and supplying medical equipment, allowances and supplies to ill and disabled children.I made a documentary called “Tears of Another Genocide” to help raise awareness and show the world the persecution and genocide against Christians in the Syrian war.

SA: How long have you been in Syria during this trip?

EGH: I’ve been in Syria for exactly five weeks now.

SA: What areas have you visited during your trip thus far?EGH: I visited Damascus, Saydnaya, Maloula, Homs and villages in the province of Homs, Sadad, Aleppo, Qamishli, Hassakeh, and Khabour.

SA: Did you receive protection from Sootoro or the SAA? If so in what areas? What type of protection?

EGH: Sootoro, as in the Christian Sootoro not the pro-Kurdish fake Sutoro, picked me up and accommodated me for a week in northern Syria. In every other part of Syria I was in, which were all under the control of the SAA (Syrian Arab Army), I didn’t need any protection — only in the Kurdish (controlled) areas of Northern Syria I needed protection.

SA: Have you received any threats while in Syria?

EGH: No, I haven’t received any threats.

SA: Has your life ever been in danger while in Syria? If so where, why, and by whom?

EGH: Yes, my life was in serious danger New Year’s Eve in the Christian town of Bab Toma. I was outside among thousands in a crowd celebrating New Year’s Eve and at exactly 12:02, just past midnight, the Free Syrian Army started firing mortar shells and one landed approximately 30 to 50 meters from me killing two Christians that night.

SA: What do Syrians want foreigners to know about the war in Syria?

EGH: Syrians want the foreigners to know that it was never a revolution nor a peaceful protest, because in 2009, two years before the war, the terrorists started digging tunnels and stashing massive arms preparing for this brutal war.

SA: What are some of the complaints you’ve heard from Syrians?

EGH: Non-Kurds are treated as second-class citizens by the Kurds. They are forced to pay special taxes simply because they are non-Kurds. Christian homes have been confiscated

Kurds write on the homes that this property now belongs to the Kurds, exactly like how ISIS writes on homes they take. Syrians complain more about America and the Kurds than anything else. America funded the opposition who started the war and destroyed over a hundred thousand Christian homes, and they’ve also funded the Kurds, who are oppressing the non-Kurds and even some Kurds who disagree with their political ambitions.

Eddie told me that he had “recorded a video of the writing they wrote on the wall of an Armenian home, exactly like how ISIS writes on the properties of Christians when they confiscate them.”

Original article with embedded videos can be seen here

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We know there has always been mistrust and bitterness by assyrians and syriac people against Kurds. However the way you portrait it, isn't the reality on the ground. Sootoro are pro-government assyrians/syriacs and sutoro are pro-kurdish. It's clear which side you'd be on. Your agenda is clearly to insight conflict and hate between YPG/YPJ (meaning Kurdish freedom fighters/humanists) and assyrians/syriacs.

You will not succeed. We do not have an ounce of hate against assyrians, syriacs or christians, even if a few of them still have bitterness against us (which I could comprehend given the history). If they chose independence in a fair piece of land of their own, I'd be in favor.

I'd trust this guy, more than I'd trust you, I took it from reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/syriancivilwar/comments/6ayom8/is_it_true_that_ypg_discriminates_the_assyrians/) :

And I trust on-the-ground sources more than I would trust you and random reddit users. I am reporting what is being told to me by Assyrians, Arameans, AND Kurds on the ground. Thanks for dropping by.

You're onesided, don't pretend otherwise. You report what suits your agenda. Anything pro-government and anti-YPG/YPJ. YPG/YPJ has done so much good, you focus only on any ounce of bad (no matter if there is a context behind it and irrelavent if it's flase) and you overexagrate it. You pointed out someone being arrested and call it kidnapping. You have bitterness in you, a Kurdish nation scares. You love having your own but deny Kurds their own. You have no understanding, no empathy, no humanity. Seriously please answer this, what would you do if you were a Kurd ? You would accept having your identity denied and language banned ? Would you accept not having a nation of your own ? All you have written proves that you wouldn't, because you do love your nation, you enjoy being a syrian, you love being a able to represent your country, you care about your language and flag. So why would we accept it ? It's just common sense.

Listen, I am not going to continue doing this with you and all of your fake accounts. To think that I have even an ounce of hate towards Kurds or any other ethnicity is ignorant and is a sign of projection of your hatred towards non-Kurds especially Syrians.

I have called out the crimes committed by many different armed factions in Syria, I expose their crimes, it's part of what I do. You are focusing on what pertains to you and taking personal offense to it. None of this is personal to me.

You can continue to hate me due to your incorrect interpretation of my work or you can open your eyes and see that I have written about many different aspects of this war.

Funny, and where have you written all the war crimes committed by the syrian army ?

You almost had me there.

Pros and Cons of Assyrians living in Kurdish territory?? That off the bat gives it away that a Kurd wrote this Reddit comment. It's not Kurdish territory under international law it's still part of Syria, being illegally managed by Kurdish administration and mafia's. It will be liberated of terrorists just like the rest of the country.

Sure kid.

Sarahabed, I agree with a lot you have to say but I don't believe classifying the Rojava governances as being "illegally managed" is proper. At the onset of this civil war, the SAA fled the northern Syrian villages. This forced groups such as the PKK to move into the region in order to liberate these villages from factions such as the FSA and ISIS. Now, several years later, the Kurds are asking to be a part of Syria as a federalized state. This is not illegal management, it is a natural and reasonable response to being left-for-dead from the Syrian government.

No problem, they would get free everything in Germany while Europa is paying!!

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