21st Century Wire says…
The ISIS crisis has quickly transitioned from farcical to ridiculous already. Granted, it’s not exactly the International Brigades. How about an early entry from NATO for ‘boots on the ground’ in Syria?
Members of the Netherlands biker gang called, ‘No Surrender’, have been “legally cleared” yesterday by Dutch authorities – to go and take up arms to fight alongside Kurdish paramilitaries against ISIS in Kobani, Syria. Before you make up your mind whether or not this is a good thing, consider a few subtle but important points first…
The cheers from the alternative media were many and sundry this morning: “Bad-ass Dutch Bikers Fight ISIS”, and “Dutch Bikers with Balls Head to Kobani”. In light of a few facts, cheerleaders might reconsider their knee-jerk support for these bikers…
BAD-ASS BIKERS? (Photo: Al Arabiya)
What many enthusiastic web trawlers do not not realise is that ‘No Surrender’ is considered by law enforcement as a criminal organisation in NATO member Netherlands (Holland), mentioned here in a Spanish Police Narcotic Division report (if we knew Dutch then we’d likely find a pile of other colourful police reports) alongside other European biker gangs based in Spain like Hell’s Angels, Satudarah MC, and Bandidos MC, as having expanded illegal operation as far as the south of Spain. Sol Times reports:
“All of them also have a long record of criminal activity, ranging from arms and drug trafficking, to money laundering, burglary, extortion and violent robbery.”
“More than 80 investigations now underway in those countries have also detected several homicide and murder attempts.”
Not exactly worth of woops and cheers.
To average American tourist, Holland looks well-manicured on its surface with a sprinkling of legalised Dutch marijuana dispensaries known quaintly as ‘coffee houses’ (for the intrepid traveler). They also have local consumers of all drugs. The government spends more than €130 million annually on its facilities for addicts. The real money can be found in its organisation and exporting. Formerly dubbed the “Cocaine Super Highway“, the Netherlands is Europe’s key manufacturing and distribution centre for the illegal narcotics trade, estimated to exceed $5 billion per year. In addition to cocaine distribution, the Netherlands lucrative production of cannabis, ecstasy tablet, LSD and amphetamines are set to make their way to Europe’s most lucrative drugs markets – Great Britain, Germany and Scandinavia.
On the other side of the Kobani equation we have the Kurds who are currently being framed as the down-trodden freedom fighters, holding on in the fight against the evil ISIS, with US warmongers in the media inferring that, “we must help these poor Kurds with US troops on the ground!”. Sure, that’s one way of looking at it, but more to consider.
The other side is a greyer perspective. Kurdish clan-based, heroin kingpin mafias are spread from the Middle East to Europe. In Europe, the Turks and the Kurds comprise of a large piece of the organised crime game. Some European critics would regard Kurds as mostly welfare dependent, while their large clans fortunes are generated through black market and organised crimes endeavors. Cultural highlights in theor host countries like Germany, Britain and the Netherlands are said to include “honor killings”, forced marriage, drug dealing, armed robbery, burglary, protection/extortion, white slavery, and murder. Threats of violence against judges keep them out of jail. No surprise then that a large percentage of their European drug profits have ended up financing the militant arm of the Kurdish Workers Party in Turkey, aka the PKK.
So it’s interesting how a members of a known arms trafficking, Dutch criminal biker gang would somehow end up in Kurdish Syria, along the Turkish border – which just happens to be one of the world’s most heavily trafficked heroin, hashish and amphetamine (see Captagon) drug smuggling corridors – would end up in proximity of Syrian-Turkish-Kurdish mafia operations.
Perhaps more is going on along the Syrian-Turkish border than our media are reporting. We can’t say for sure, but it’s a fair question: Is this Dutch biker gang down there on business?
If that’s the case, then this ‘Boots on the Ground’ media story is providing brilliant PR cover (for either the gang, or NATO special forces. Hmm), not to mention winning the hearts and minds of rank and file Republicans in the US who call for action, but can’t gather the strength to get up out of their lounge chairs…
DUTCH BIKER: Road trip to hell, posing for a Selfie in Kobani (Photo: Daily Star)
Bikers v ISIS? Dutch motorcycle gang gets green light to fight Islamic State
Already battling airstrikes conducted by the US and its allies, the Islamic State now has another threat to look out for: a motorcycle gang from the Netherlands.
Three members of the infamous Dutch biker gang ‘No Surrender’ reportedly journeyed to Iraq and Syria last week in order to fight alongside Kurdish troops and against Islamic State (IS) militants.
Now, commenting on the legality of that move, the Dutch public prosecutor said Tuesday they are allowed to do so.
“Joining a foreign armed force was previously punishable, now it’s no longer forbidden,” the prosecutor’s spokesman, Wim de Bruin, told AFP.
Members of Dutch Biker Gang Are Fighting ISIS in Iraq http://t.co/ynJ5nJupFk pic.twitter.com/lMSoHElGkD
— The Mass Deception (@MassDeception1) October 14, 2014
As long as the individuals do not enlist in a battle against the Netherlands, they are not committing a crime, he added. If the members of the biker gang are found to be engaging in torture or rape, however, De Bruin said they could be indicted on criminal charges.
“The big difference with IS is that it’s listed as a terrorist group,” De Bruin said. “That means that even preparing to join IS is punishable.”
The comments come after it was revealed that at least three No Surrender members had joined Kurdish fighters in the Middle East. The gang’s leader, Klaas Otto, confirmed that the members were from Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Breda. One of them can be seen in a photograph holding a Kalashnikov assault rifle.
Dutch bikers are far from being the only individuals traveling to fight the Islamic State. Last week, a Reuters report noted that some US citizens have already done the same. A man named Brian Wilson, who claimed to be a former soldier, said multiple Americans are now fighting with Kurdish troops.
FIGHTING SPIRIT: Dutch bikers taking the fight to ISIS (PHOTO: AFP Photo / ANP / Jerry Lampen)
“There are a few Americans who wanted to come here and help the YPG in any way we can,” he said to Reuters, referring to the main Kurdish group battling Syrian militants. “Everything has been fine. They’re very nice, very accommodating, hospitable. Very good people,” he added about his Kurdish hosts.
Fighting on the other side of the battle, though, are even more foreigners. American officials believe there are more than 15,000 people from 80 different countries fighting alongside IS, including more than 2,000 Europeans and 100 Americans…
READ MORE AT RT
READ MORE ISIS NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire ISIS Files
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