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| Wyatt Roy caught in fighting with Islamic State on visit to Iraq | Wyatt Roy caught in fighting with Islamic State on visit to Iraq |
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| Wyatt Roy has told of a brush with Islamic State insurgents while he was on a visit to Iraq to “see for myself”. | Wyatt Roy has told of a brush with Islamic State insurgents while he was on a visit to Iraq to “see for myself”. |
| SBS reported on Thursday afternoon that the 26-year-old former federal assistant minister had been caught up in a frontline confrontation between Isis and Kurdish Peshmerga forces in Iraq. Roy has also written for the Australian on his experience on the frontlines, where he has also called for Australia to support an independent Kurdish state. | |
| Roy became the youngest-ever member of the House of Representatives when he entered the parliament in 2010 at the age of 20, but conceded defeat in the Queensland seat of Longman in this year’s election. | Roy became the youngest-ever member of the House of Representatives when he entered the parliament in 2010 at the age of 20, but conceded defeat in the Queensland seat of Longman in this year’s election. |
| Speaking from the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, he told SBS that around 15 Isis insurgents battled with Kurdish fighters in Domez, near the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar, last Thursday. | Speaking from the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, he told SBS that around 15 Isis insurgents battled with Kurdish fighters in Domez, near the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar, last Thursday. |
| The risk of being hit by a “50-cal bullet” or debris “was pretty serious”, Roy said, “so we had to stay where we were.” | The risk of being hit by a “50-cal bullet” or debris “was pretty serious”, Roy said, “so we had to stay where we were.” |
| Once the Peshmerga pushed back the Isis fighters, he and British political consultant Samuel Coates and a translator then drove back to Sinjar “as fast as we could in the other direction” . | Once the Peshmerga pushed back the Isis fighters, he and British political consultant Samuel Coates and a translator then drove back to Sinjar “as fast as we could in the other direction” . |
| Five Isis fighters were reportedly killed before Coalition forces called in an airstrike. | Five Isis fighters were reportedly killed before Coalition forces called in an airstrike. |
| Sinjar was recaptured by Kurdish forces in November last year after Isis seized control in mid-2014. | Sinjar was recaptured by Kurdish forces in November last year after Isis seized control in mid-2014. |
| Roy said he was in Iraq because he “wanted to visit and see for myself, in a way that I really couldn’t have done as a member of parliament”. | Roy said he was in Iraq because he “wanted to visit and see for myself, in a way that I really couldn’t have done as a member of parliament”. |
| Sime Boseli, the Peshmarga commander, said in a statement to SBS that Roy was the “first foreign public figure to visit the city since liberation and to spend time with our troops on the frontline”. | Sime Boseli, the Peshmarga commander, said in a statement to SBS that Roy was the “first foreign public figure to visit the city since liberation and to spend time with our troops on the frontline”. |
| Clarke Jones, a specialist in deradicalisation at the Australian National University, condemned Roy’s visit as “not a good message” to send when the government was attempting to stop radicalised young people from joining the conflict. | Clarke Jones, a specialist in deradicalisation at the Australian National University, condemned Roy’s visit as “not a good message” to send when the government was attempting to stop radicalised young people from joining the conflict. |
| Shadow foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, was also critical. She blasted Roy for what she said was a “very unwise and dangerous act for a former LNP member of parliament, who should be expected to know better”. | Shadow foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, was also critical. She blasted Roy for what she said was a “very unwise and dangerous act for a former LNP member of parliament, who should be expected to know better”. |
| “Warzones are not places for people to act out their boyhood fantasies,” she said. | “Warzones are not places for people to act out their boyhood fantasies,” she said. |
| Wong called on the Turnbull government to clarify whether it had knowledge of Roy’s travel to Iraq and Syria and whether any assistance was request or provided by the government. | Wong called on the Turnbull government to clarify whether it had knowledge of Roy’s travel to Iraq and Syria and whether any assistance was request or provided by the government. |
| Great to show fmr Assistant Innovation Minister Wyatt Roy our Tel Aviv Landing Pad, now up and running. pic.twitter.com/tNSerof99U | Great to show fmr Assistant Innovation Minister Wyatt Roy our Tel Aviv Landing Pad, now up and running. pic.twitter.com/tNSerof99U |
| Dave Sharma, Australia’s ambassador to Israel, on 15 September tweeted an image of himself with Roy at Australia’s new “landing pad”, an Austrade initiative in Tel Aviv. | Dave Sharma, Australia’s ambassador to Israel, on 15 September tweeted an image of himself with Roy at Australia’s new “landing pad”, an Austrade initiative in Tel Aviv. |
| Roy’s social media presences otherwise made no mention of his trip. He spoke exclusively to Jana Wendt, the former A Current Affair host, for SBS. | Roy’s social media presences otherwise made no mention of his trip. He spoke exclusively to Jana Wendt, the former A Current Affair host, for SBS. |
| He was unable to comment to Guardian Australia on Thursday afternoon as he was understood to be travelling. | He was unable to comment to Guardian Australia on Thursday afternoon as he was understood to be travelling. |
| Roy became the assistant minister for innovation in September last year. He conceded the seat of Longman to the Labor candidate Susan Lamb after the 2 July election, stating in a Facebook post that he was looking forward to spending more time with his family and friends and “just being 26 :)”. | Roy became the assistant minister for innovation in September last year. He conceded the seat of Longman to the Labor candidate Susan Lamb after the 2 July election, stating in a Facebook post that he was looking forward to spending more time with his family and friends and “just being 26 :)”. |