Former Glasgow soldier to leave UK to fight Isis

Joiner Jamie McCarroll, a father of five, believes the UK government is not doing enough to help persecuted Christians in Northern Iraq.

And the former soldier with the Royal Highland Fusiliers is now in the final stages of preparation to fly out to join others willing to fight the terror group.

The 40-year-old plans to leave his job, home, three daughters and two stepsons, knowing that his children “might never see their father again”.

Jamie McCarroll pictured in Bosnia in 1994. Picture: HeMedia

Jamie, from Glasgow, who is self-funding his efforts, said: “I’m leaving my life here and my kids, they’re my whole life.

“I’ve got my job too. I’m giving up a lot to go over there to nothing. But I understand what I’m doing and why I’m doing it.

“I don’t really think about something bad happening. It’s not something you think about because if you do you won’t last long.

“I’d rather think about going over there and helping those people than worrying about my own safety.”

Once in Iraq Jamie plans to meet up with the Dwekh Nawsha, a militant group founded in 2014 to help protect the country’s Christian population.

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The group’s Facebook page refers to them as “The Sacrificers” who are “doing our duty to the Assyrian people who are in need”.

Jamie said: “I’m going to be joining up with the Dwekh Nawsha to help protect the Christians from Isis in Northern Iraq.

“They aren’t getting any help from any organisations, and just looking at everything that’s going on is so difficult.

“They’re being murdered all over that part of the world by Islamic State if they refuse to convert their religion.

“It’s very bleak for them as there’s no one helping them at all. The UK and US governments aren’t doing anything to help them.

“I’ll be on the frontline fighting, putting my life at risk, and knowing that my children might never see their father again.

“I couldn’t live with myself doing nothing, when I knew I could help.”

It is claimed more than 2,000 Brits have joined Isis, but a small handful from around the country have also flown to Iraq to fight against them.

Once Jamie has arrived in Iraq he will meet his contacts and determine how to confront the terror group.

He added: “Erbil is where I’ll be flying into, and from there I’ll be picked up and taken to a safe house where we will sort out our weapons.

“After that we’re going to go to training before we go to the front line.

“I plan on going myself as I’m currently in contact with people who are over there fighting at the moment, I’m just preparing to sort my flights out.

“I hope to fly out in the next six to eight weeks and everything is entirely self-funded, we have to get ourselves out there.”

But Jamie stressed that there are already too many untrained individuals going over to fight who are a liability to professional soldiers.

He joined the army at 18 and since leaving has kept himself fit by boxing and has no concerns about his health or fitness.

He added: “You need to have formal training if you want to go out and help, but there’s people out fighting at the moment who’ve not got any formal training and who’ve been there for over a year now.

“I started when I was 18 and joined the Royal Highland Fusiliers and went to Bosnia, so I know what a genocide is like.

“I’ve got friends who are in Iraq at the moment doing close protection work, choosing the money, but this isn’t anything to do with money at all.

“Isis are turning women and children into slaves and executing people if they refuse to convert.

“I feel terrible that I’m not over there helping. They’re wiping out Christianity and there’ll be none left and that’s where Christianity started, in the Middle East.”

Jamie has yet to fully explain the news to his five children, but said he had already informed them of his decision.