A Scottish volunteer who fought Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) with Kurdish Peshmerga forces for more than two years says he has been the subject of an intrusive police investigation “bordering on harassment” since returning home last week.
The Kurdish Peshmerga force, which is backed by a US-led coalition, including the UK, has secured most of the Kurdistan region, with the exception of a few towns and villages near Sinjar and Hawija.
Alan Duncan, who served as a sniper in the 7th Soran Infantry Brigade led by General Bahram Arif, was commended by his fellow soldiers for his loyalty and bravery.
“After two years in Kurdistan with the Kurdish Peshmerga and various trips out of the UK, the Scottish police stopped me, questioned me and held me,” Duncan told ARA News.
“[They] still have all my luggage under schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act,” he said.
Scottish police are demanding to know whether Duncan shot at any IS fighters during his tour, Duncan says.
“The way Scottish police questioned me… tells you exactly who they [had concern for]: Daesh [IS] terrorists.”
Duncan says his treatment is what one would “expect from a government that was screaming NO to airstrikes on Daesh and screaming YES for inquires into the UK killing Daesh through drone strikes.”
Duncan is expected to get his clothes back soon, but is still under investigation.
“I’ll get my stuff, but not the phone, the laptop, or the SIM cards, as they still require them for my investigation.
“They are in total denial as to why I have been there for two years and that I was previously questioned and cleared by the UK security services,” Duncan said.
Former Prime Minister David Cameron previously said there was a fundamental difference between fighting alongside Kurdish forces and joining IS, noting “highly trained border staff” were able to tell the difference between Islamic extremists and those who had risked their lives fighting them.