Yesterday, Dean Parker, a West Palm Beach native who had gone to Syria to fight ISIS, announced on his Facebook page that he was going home, though it was unclear whether he was referring to West Palm Beach, Costa Rica, or another place. (In a December radio interview, he referred to Colorado as his home.) He advised others to "stay home" and enjoy their freedom, saying that the people fighting ISIS would benefit more from donations. He said ISIS was "getting the shit kicked out of them" -- a stark difference of opinion from that of German journalist Jurgen Todenhofer, who recently spent ten days embedded with the terrorists and described them as just getting started on a genocide targeting millions.
Parker had gone to Syria in December November after hearing the story of Yazidi people fleeing ISIS and getting stuck on a mountaintop while running for their lives. He joined a group of Syrian Kurds called the YPG (translation: People's Protection Units).
He wrote on Facebook:
Statement: Heval Gobar Botan/YPG Good Evening all,Have a lot of things to talk about, so just bear with me please. Did not realise my audio interview would go so viral. First, thanks so very much for all the support, prayers sent, well wishes from all of you. With all due respect, I'm not any type of hero, not even close. sorry. The heroes here are the young YPG/YPJ fighters, the Asaysi, those wounded and martyred in combat. Jordan Matson was almost killed fighting here. That's a hero. The new academy graduates going off to fight are the heroes. The heroes are the fighters injured in Kobani that were being processed out to go home to there families that I spent last week with. Those are heroes. Second, To all the media now asking for an interview. Thank you so much for your interest in my story, but I have already told it and I am not much for repeating myself. The words of importance in the interview were not about me, but the YPG/YPJ fighters. The Kurds fight for democracy, religious freedoms for all, equal rights for women. That why so many religious minorities live in the Kurdish regions, tolorance. When I was with Jordan that short time on the front, Jordan would always bless the food. All the fighters would bow heads then say amen out of respect of another's beliefs. That's who they are. When oppressed people need a safe place, the Kurds say "come live with us, we'd be happy to have you here. Live with us in peace." I am not a hero. I never even shot at the enemy. I was never in combat. And for all those who want to come to fight. Stay home. Stay safe. Care for your families. Those thinking their gonna be these movie youtube firefights, it ain't gonna happen. The Kurds are not gonna put any of us in that type of danger. Plus, we don't speak the language. They are guerrilla style fighters, quick, fluid, aggressive. All we would do is throw off their timing, get someone killed. They had a meeting about me, I had 2 fighters that wanted me to go to Sengal with them. And they said no. Not just me but all foreigners I'm pretty sure of. They said, War is very bad. You think you want to go, but you really don't. No one needs to see that. We have no option but to fight, u have an option, and we will not let you make a bad decision. All life is sacred. So if you do come to join, you be stationed at a FOB. yes there is fighting. Dushka and sniper incoming fire. indirect fire, but still quite deadly if there lucky shot is your unlucky day. If Isis were to attack in force, bet your ass your fighting. but they won't, they are getting the shit kicked out of them. They send infiltrators in at night, might get one Life on the front in anything but fun. It's cold, rainy, muddy, no heat, no hot water, your gonna get sick a lot, mice,c rappy food, protein and vitamin deficient. no medicines When was the last time u went 2 weeks without a shower. YPG has plenty of fighters now, yes your welcome, yes you perform important tasks, your being there is huge for their moral, showing people care about them. One, 10, 20, foreign fighters will make 0 difference now. Stay home and safe. The 1000s you will spend would help them so much more if it were donated. Ran into these guys on my way out. "Operation Limitless Compassion" These dudes are starting to get shit done. Check them out. They have the knowledge, experiance, contacts to get the medical supplies, give training, get badly injured out. I met them. These are the ones that need financial backing. And your 10 dollars is important. If you can't give more, u can give ten. That's it for now, I will finish tomorrow. Signing off for now, peace
Jordan Matson is an American from Wisconsin who likewise had gone to Syria to fight ISIS.
Parker later wrote that he would "charge 50 bucks a minute for airport interviews, all proceeds go to ypg/ypg. I will let all news agencys know when I arrive."
Parker also linked to a crowdfunding campaign for "Operation Limitless Compassion," run by a group of Special Ops vets that is helping to fight ISIS by bringing supplies to Kurds through a company called Castle International.
Al Arabiya news service has written about foreign fighters who have gone to Syria to fight ISIS.
One vet told the New York Post that joining the fight was "as easy as flying to Miami."
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