Syria death reported of ex-British marine fighting alongside Kurds.

[Mr Angry]

"A former Royal Marine has become the first Briton to be killed while fighting alongside Kurdish forces against Islamic State in Syria, the Kurdish militia has told the BBC

The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) named him as Konstandinos Erik Scurfield, from Barnsley.

A British pro-Kurdish activist said he had informed Mr Scurfield's family of the death, at the request of the YPG.

The Foreign Office said it was "aware of reports" of a Briton dying in Syria."


.....

"The BBC understands about 100 Western volunteers - including some Britons - are fighting as part of the 30,000-strong Kurdish forces.

More than 500 Britons are believed to have travelled to join IS.

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said the UK government's position was "probably going to lead to accusations of double standards".

He said if Britons went to Syria and were suspected of trying to join IS they would get their "collar felt at Heathrow" - but there "seems to be a silence about people going to fight on the other side"."


Everyone will be paying in a few years.

[richard s]

A hero - RIP.

[Pierre]

there's no double standards.

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Pierre

there's no double standards.

Indeed i saw no reports of him burning people alive or beheading people whilst shouting ally snackbar or what ever it is they shout. Instead i saw someone helping to rid the world of a bunch of religious nut jobs. Respect to him and may he RIP.

[greeninferno]

Originally Posted by Mr Angry

Everyone will be paying in a few years.

what do you mean by that?

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by greeninferno

what do you mean by that?

Its a BBC link...

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Sirius

Indeed i saw no reports of him burning people alive or beheading people whilst shouting ally snackbar or what ever it is they shout. Instead i saw someone helping to rid the world of a bunch of religious nut jobs. Respect to him and may he RIP.

Now you know that doesn't matter to some folks don't you...

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Osem

Now you know that doesn't matter to some folks don't you...

Twenty years ago people were probably saying the same about the mujaheddin, valiantly fighting the Soviet war machine, look how some of them used the expensive weapons and training in the end, imo we should be very concerned about extremists on both sides and definitely not be encouraging anyone to go over there, no matter how good or noble we believe their intentions to be

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

Twenty years ago people were probably saying the same about the mujaheddin, valiantly fighting the Soviet war machine, look how some of them used the expensive weapons and training in the end, imo we should be very concerned about extremists on both sides and definitely not be encouraging anyone to go over there, no matter how good or noble we believe their intentions to be

The Kurds are not extremists, they're defending their land against an invading force.

By your measure, the Polish and French that escaped the Nazis and then fought alongside the allies to free their countries are extremists.

It's very easy to choose sides in this particular arena. Isis v everyone else. There's no blurred lines.

I commend anyone that goes over to fight Isis, I wouldn't personally, but I'm not a soldier.

Isis need to be destroyed. A ground war is the only way it will end. It's only a matter of time and the more the rest of the world sits on its hands the harder it will be.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Pierre

The Kurds are not extremists, they're defending their land against an invading force.

By your measure, the Polish and French that escaped the Nazis and then fought alongside the allies to free their countries are extremists.

It's very easy to choose sides in this particular arena. Isis v everyone else. There's no blurred lines.

I commend anyone that goes over to fight Isis, I wouldn't personally, but I'm not a soldier.

Isis need to be destroyed. A ground war is the only way it will end. It's only a matter of time and the more the rest of the world sits on its hands the harder it will be.

These kurds might not be extremists but what about the PKK but that's not what I said anyway, I said we shouldn't be encouraging anyone to go over as anyone willing to kill or be killed has an extreme view on the conflict and no your French and polish analogy is not my measure, they never turned on us once the war was over and were never likely to.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

I said we shouldn't be encouraging anyone to go over

I agree that point.

as anyone willing to kill or be killed has an extreme view on the conflict and no your French and polish analogy is not my measure, they never turned on us once the war was over and were never likely to.

But not this, someone who is willing to go and fight ISIS gets my blessing. It's just a shame that individuals feel compelled that they have to it themselves rather than the other nations of the world that sit idly by while horrors are enacted every day by the ISIS nazis.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Pierre

I agree that point.


But not this, someone who is willing to go and fight ISIS gets my blessing. It's just a shame that individuals feel compelled that they have to it themselves rather than the other nations of the world that sit idly by while horrors are enacted every day by the ISIS nazis.

The nations that set about this course of events probably are obligated to fix it, I'm just concerned we've been down this road so many times in the last thirty years its as if we never learn, this guy bad so we throw in our lot with his enemy and they turn out to be worse. Oh and just for the record I don't believe that this brit who died out there had anything other than the nobelist of intentions