EXCLUSIVE: American Peshmerga volunteers praise Kurdish fighters

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — American volunteers who have signed up with Kurdish Peshmerga to battle ISIS near Doquq say they are in the fight to stay.

Kurt, who asked his full name not be used, said he originally planned on coming to Kurdistan for only half a year, but now he may stay longer. “I actually bought a round-trip ticket for a period of six months to go back to the States, but once I got here and saw how organized ISIS is and how dangerous they actually can be... I don't know. I might stay until they are pushed out of Kurdistan,” he said.

Erwin, another American volunteer battling ISIS alongside the Peshmarga, said he chose to join the Peshmerga because he believed in their will to fight.

“I chose Kurdistan because... I mean primarily that is where I heard volunteers were being accepted into military forces,” he said. “I know Peshmerga have a lot of heart and they are very successful in their fight against Daesh.”

Daesh is the Arabic acronym for ISIS. 

For his part, Lieutenant Aras, a Kurdish officer in the Peshmerga’s Brigade 9, said the Americans and other foreign volunteers were having an impact. He also said all his volunteers were military veterans. 

“These US soldiers are all professional and were former US soldiers in the US army in Afghanistan, and they were really eager to join the Peshmerga,” he said.