We, the forces of the Guardians of Khabour, have decided to lay down our weapons in the fight against ISIS. There are many reasons for this decision, but the most important are as follows:

The failure of certain organizations (which insist on overseeing and commanding the Guardians of Khabour) to release the names of the perpetrators who carried out the assassination of the Martyr Dawoud Gindo and critically injuring the hero Elias Nasser. The ongoing coercion by the same organization to force the Guardians of Khabour to become part of [their] units, thus giving up our independence as a force. The ongoing looting of Assyrian villages, and the destruction of Assyrian homes by the same coercive party. The destruction and the burning of agricultural crops, owned by local Kurdish, Arab or Assyrian farmers by the same coercive organization.

If any of our members are harmed following our laying down of arms, we will accuse the same individuals of that harm as those parties who assassinated the Martyr Dawoud Gindo.

A note from American Mesopotamian Organization:

While the Guardians of Khabour have chosen not to name the coercive, responsible parties which have forced them to lay down their arms, it is widely known, among the Assyrian nation worldwide, that the YPG and the PKK are in fact responsible for this action.

The Kurdish YPG have given the Khabour Guardians two options: Join the MFS (Syriac Military Council), also known as the Dawronoye (the PKK/YPG Christian “allies”), or lay down their weapons. Given this choice, given the criminal conduct of the YPG and the PKK, the Khabour Guardians have decided to lay down their weapons rather than become pawns in the Kurdish plan to divide and fracture the Republic of Syria along ethnic and sectarian lines.

While it is regrettable that the Guardians of Khabour have been forced to withdraw from the crucial fight against ISIS, we understand and support their principled statement and decision to not cooperate with the actions of the YPG and the PKK.