For hundreds of years, Hussein Yazdanpana’s family has fought for freedom from an endless array of enemy forces. But today’s battle is truly one for the ages.

Occasion

After the beheading of Western journalists and attacks in London, Nice, and other cities, ISIS was no longer just a local threat—it had become an international danger. But what did the fight against them look like on the ground?

Approach

Some stories are perhaps better left untold. A friend introduced me to commander Hussein Yazdanpana, and another friend drove me to his base, positioned right at the frontline.

We were unfamiliar with the area and, for a moment, feared we had entered ISIS-controlled territory. Fortunately, we had not, and we arrived safely.

The story was delicate on many levels. Iranian Kurdish forces are unpopular among many Iraqis, so I needed to be careful with my translator and photographer. Fortunately, the commander himself—who bore a striking resemblance to Stalin—was both battle-hardened and media-savvy, willing to let me join his men on the frontlines.

Quote

“Some twenty miles outside the ISIS-controlled area of Hawija, in northern Iraq, commander Hussein Yazdanpana shakes the hands of two American soldiers. They are standing on a dirt path next to a wall of sandbags. For a moment, they glance over to the training field below the hill, where some twenty young Iranian-Kurdish recruits are learning to dismantle a gun while blindfolded.”

Publication

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Publication Details

???? Appeared on: Narratively
???? Date: March 2016
???? Project Type: Narrative journalism