A Former Canadian Soldier Who Is Now Fighting the Islamic State Calls Out Justin Trudeau

In the wake of one Canadian veteran's death fighting against the Islamic State (IS), another former soldier with the same rebel group is calling out Justin Trudeau's government for lack of action — and urging others like him to go rogue and join the war.

"In need of good and willing soldiers," Steve Krsnik wrote this week in a Facebook post. "Combat vets and experienced soldiers are needed in the fight against ISIS. The more experience the better if you are interested please send a PM for more details. With a list of experiences and courses preferred."

The call to arms comes as Canada readies to pull out of the international bombing coalition targeting IS in both Syria and Iraq. The Foreign Affairs minister said this week that mission will end "within weeks," not months. At the same time, Canadian Special Forces operators are training Kurdish Peshmerga forces and those operations are set to increase as warplanes are withdrawn.

But Krisnik took aim at the Trudeau government for its perceived inaction against IS.

"I am working as a volunteer fighting in Kurdistan against ISIS cuz our POS government isn't doing anything to help atm," said Krsnik in response to a friend who questioned his motives. "I am fully independent and working with local forces to push back and eliminate the threat we face. No disrespect taken brother."

Krsnik, along with Robert Sommerville, is a former Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry member, which is one of Canada's major regular forces regiments that served extensively in Afghanistan's Kandahar province, a scene of major fighting against the Taliban insurgency.

He and Somerville are serving with the Kurdish People's Protection Forces (YPG) in Kurdish Syria in territory loosely controlled by the YPG and Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

When asked in September by VICE News why he chose to fight with the YPG, a group with links to the PKK, which is deemed a terrorist organization by some nations, Krsnik said "the choice was easy" and that he was eager to fight, while other avenues were taking too long.

"Only hard choice was how do I go about the whole PKK affiliation and other parties that have questionable ties and how that would effect my return," said Krsnik in a Facebook message to this reporter.

As Stewart Bell of the National Post reported, there are questions surrounding the security screening of soldiers who fight with rebel groups countering IS in Syria and Iraq upon their return to Canada.

Officially, the Canadian government disapproves of former vets plying their trade with militant groups. A Canadian Armed Forces spokesperson told VICE News in the past they do not involve itself "nor was it responsible for" the actions of former soldiers and Canadian citizens.

Related: Two More Canadian Veterans Are Fighting the Islamic State

"Furthermore, we discourage Canadians from traveling to the region themselves, and obviously cannot guarantee their safety," said Daniel Lebouthilier a spokesman for the CAF, adding that Krsnik and Somerville's presence in Syria has "no impact on our operations."

Yet that hasn't stopped Krsnik from urging others like him to join in the fight against the Islamic State in highly volatile battlefields in Syria and Iraq.

Krsnik's message comes on the heels of former Canadian soldier John Gallagher's death serving with the same YPG forces in Syria. To date, he is the only Canadian to die fighting against IS for a rebel group. Meanwhile, Canadian IS militants continue to fight on the other side with the terrorist organization. A Canadian Special Forces soldier died in a friendly fire incident in the winter.

Follow Ben Makuch on Twitter: @bmakuch