The Western volunteers joining Iraqi Christian militia to fight ISIL - in pictures

Brett served in the US army in Baghdad in 2006-2007 and has now returned to fight ISIL with Dwekh Nawsha, a Christian militia whose name is an Assyrian-language phrase conveying self-sacrifice.

In his first week in charge of recruiting fighters to join Dwekh Nawsha, Brett brought in five volunteers from the United States, Britain and Canada, all of whom he says have military or contracting experience.

Louis Park, left, a mild-mannered Texan who retired from the Marines in December, was recruited by Brett to fight ISIL. The foreign contingent is tiny compared to the thousands of foreigners who have joined tISIL, but interest is growing and 20 more volunteers already lined up to join.

“One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter,” Brett says, speaking from a Dwekh Nawsha base in the Kurdish city of Dohuk.

“Here we’re fighting for the freedom of the people here to be able live peaceably, to be able to live without persecution, to keep the church bells ringing.” says Brett

Louis Park shops for military equipment at a market in the Iraqi city of Dohuk.

ISIL never captured Al Qosh — but it came close enough for its mostly Christian population to flee to the neighbouring autonomous region of Kurdistan, together with tens of thousands from Mosul and the Nineveh plains.

Brett and Louis Park. “I did not adjust well at peace time,” Mr Park said with dipping tobacco tucked in his lip. “I wanted to get back out here.” After serving in Afghanistan, Mr Park says he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder “and some other things” that barred him from combat deployments.

A growing contingent of foreign recruits have a variety of reasons for joining Dwekh Nawsha - a Christian militia in Iraq that is fighting ISIL. All photos by Safin Hamed / AFP Photo