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Briton who spent months fighting Isis wanted to 'shine a light' on the conflict Briton who spent months fighting Isis wanted to 'shine a light' on the conflict
(35 minutes later)
A former currency trader who has returned to the UK after spending five months in northern Syria fighting Isis has explained that he decided to join Kurdish forces to “shine a light” on the conflict. A former currency trader who has returned to the UK after spending five months in northern Syria fighting against Islamic State has explained that he decided to join Kurdish forces to “shine a light” on the conflict.
Macer Gifford said he gave up his job in the City to join the Kurds after being “shocked to the core” while watching the rise of Isis, or Islamic State, and thought the west was not doing enough to counter its rise. Harry said he gave up his job in the City to join the Kurds after being “shocked to the core” while watching the rise of Isis and thought the west was not doing enough to counter it.
“I wanted to shine a light and to show the Kurds aren’t alone,” Gifford told BBC Radio 4 Today. “I was ready to die and kill. I knew what I was getting myself into. I spent five months there, I saw a great deal of fighting and took part in two large operations. Islamic State shot at me, I shot at them.” “I wanted to shine a light and to show the Kurds aren’t alone,” Harry told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “I was ready to die and kill. I knew what I was getting myself into. I spent five months there, I saw a great deal of fighting and took part in two large operations. Islamic State shot at me, I shot at them.”
Gifford, 28, a public school-educated former Tory councillor who went out before Christmas to join the YPG, or Kurdish People’s Protection Unit, gave details of the death of Konstandinos Erik Scurfield, the first Briton to die while fighting Isis. Harry, 28, a public school-educated former Tory councillor who went out before Christmas to join the YPG, or Kurdish People’s Protection unit, gave details of the death of Konstandinos Erik Scurfield, the first Briton to die while fighting Isis.
A former Royal Marine, Scurfield died in March in Al-Hol in Hasaka province, near Syria’s border with Iraq. Gifford said Scurfield died from shrapnel after his armoured personnel carrier (APC) was hit a by a rocket-propelled grenade. A former Royal Marine, Scurfield died in March in al-Hol, in Hasaka province, near Syria’s border with Iraq. Harry said Scurfield died from shrapnel after his armoured personnel carrier (APC) was hit a by a rocket-propelled grenade.
Related: Konstandinos Scurfield's death in the fight against Isis is a tragedy — but not an exampleRelated: Konstandinos Scurfield's death in the fight against Isis is a tragedy — but not an example
“I knew him well, he was a wonderful wonderful person,” said Gifford. “ He was incredibly brave and died for British values… he was attacking IS positions going back and forth, firing RPGs at Isis, spurring people on. An RPG hit the side of his vehicle and he was hit by shrapnel. When the APC came back, he was already dead. He was well loved by Kurds and foreign fighters.” “I knew him well, he was a wonderful, wonderful person,” said Harry. “He was incredibly brave and died for British values … he was attacking IS positions going back and forth, firing RPGs at Isis, spurring people on. An RPG hit the side of his vehicle and he was hit by shrapnel. When the APC came back, he was already dead. He was well loved by Kurds and foreign fighters.”
Gifford, who has no military experience and speaks no Arabic, said he received small arms training along with other foreign fighters, which included former Foreign Legion soldiers and former US Rangers special forces. Harry, who had no military experience and speaks no Arabic, said he received small arms training along with other foreign fighters, which included former Foreign Legion soldiers and former US Rangers special forces.
The British-based Syrian Observatory, which monitors events in Syria, has said the estimated 100 foreigners in YPG come from the UK, France, Spain, Austria, Australia, Denmark, America and Canada. Of the 100, only a handful are British and about 10 are from the US. The British-based Syrian Observatory, which monitors events in Syria, has said the estimated 100 foreigners in YPG come from the UK, France, Spain, Austria, Australia, Denmark, America and Canada. Of the 100, a handful are British and about 10 are from the US.
If you think that it is in the public’s interest to prosecute me, then do your worst.If you think that it is in the public’s interest to prosecute me, then do your worst.
The YPG has not released official numbers confirming foreign soldiers, but they are dwarfed by the estimated 16,000 fighters from about 90 countries who have joined Isis since 2012, according to the US state department. Foreign Policy magazine has reported that Isis is having no trouble recruiting fighters to replace those killed by US air strikes – estimated at 13,000 in the period September to October. The YPG has not released official numbers on foreign soldiers, but they are dwarfed by the estimated 16,000 fighters from about 90 countries who have joined Isis since 2012, according to the US state department. Foreign Policy magazine has reported that Isis is having no trouble recruiting fighters to replace those killed by US air strikes – estimated at 13,000 in the period from September to October.
The Home Office has warned that taking part in the conflict in Syria and Iraq could amount to an offence, even for those fighting against the jihadis. Asked what he would tell police should he be arrested, Gifford said he would say he went to help people and that IS is a brutal organisation. The Home Office has warned that taking part in the conflict in Syria and Iraq could amount to an offence, even for those fighting against the jihadis. Asked what he would tell police should he be arrested, Gifford said he would say he went to help people and that IS was a brutal organisation.
In another interview with the BBC on Wednesday night, he said: “Whatever information they need, I’ll give it to them. But more than that, I’ll tell them why I came, what kind of person I am. And then I’ll go along with the practicalities and say to them: ‘Do you think I am a threat to the British people? Do you think that I’m a terrorist? If you think that it is in the public’s interest to prosecute me, then do your worst.’ The people we were up against in the Islamic State, well, they are barbaric. People will understand why I went out.” In another interview with the BBC on Wednesday night, Harry – who uses the nom de guerre Macer Gifford – said: “Whatever information they need, I’ll give it to them. But more than that, I’ll tell them why I came, what kind of person I am. And then I’ll go along with the practicalities and say to them: ‘Do you think I am a threat to the British people? Do you think that I’m a terrorist? If you think that it is in the public’s interest to prosecute me, then do your worst.’ The people we were up against in the Islamic State, well, they are barbaric. People will understand why I went out.”