Foreign fighters given senior positions in Syrian army – report
Syria’s new leaders have reportedly given some foreign Islamic fighters senior official positions in the country’s armed forces.
The army is being reorganized by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – the Islamist group that is now effectively in charge of the country – following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.
Although there has been no confirmation of the move by the new leadership, it is likely to raise concerns inside and outside Syria about the role of radical foreign terrorists in the country’s future.
Multiple Syrian sources have concluded that at least six of the approximately 50 new military roles announced have gone to foreigners.
Based on published names, they are said to include a Chinese Uyghur, a Jordanian and a Turkish national. All are said to have been given high ranking positions as colonels or brigadier-generals.
The role of foreign fighters in various armed groups during the civil war has provoked strong emotions in Syria.
Thousands of fighters from many different countries joined the rebellion against Assad as it became a full-blown armed conflict when mass protests were met with violence by security forces.
Some formed their own groups and others provided the core to the Islamic State group, which took control of large areas in the east of Syria.
Opponents of HTS have long accused it of being composed largely of foreign jihadists — a charge Assad supporters have sought to delegitimize the group as it launches its final, decisive assault against the regime.
But in the years he ran the rebel group in Idlib, Ahmed al-Sharaa – the leader of HTS and now Syria – got rid of some of those foreign fighters in an effort to strengthen his group’s credibility not as an open but nationalist one. Were staying. Jihadi power.
Al-Sharaa’s message since taking power has repeatedly emphasized a vision of a unified Syrian state in which all communities must be respected and have a stake.
For those worried that their actions will not match their words, this apparent move to formalize the status of some key foreign fighters may give them further pause for thought.
The appointments appear to have been made to reward fighters – whether from Syria or elsewhere – who played a key role in the ultimate victory over the regime.
For this reason, some of the remaining foreign fighters – including their families – are now likely to be granted Syrian citizenship.
This issue is one of several that could complicate any successful transition to a new political and social structure in Syria.
The new authorities are placing heavy emphasis on a national dialogue conference that is being prepared to bring together representatives from all sections of society – although no date has been set.
It is hoped that the conference will speed up the process of rebuilding the institutions of the broken and divided country.