... non-state actor or put all guns and warlords in the country under its control, or incorporate them into new military structures which is a rather challenging task that requires a lot of compromise.
During almost eight years of the civil war, non-state armed groups fighting on the side of the Syrian government have grown in size, numbers and influence which naturally poses a threat to the state sovereignty and integrity. This is why, in the long run, Damascus will be forced to come up with a formula which will incorporate militia commanders ...
... groups, and other units created by them in Syrian territory, made up of Syrian nationals. There are at least
twice as many
fighters in the irregular army formations as in the Syrian Arab Army itself.
Ruslan Mamedov:
Non-Governmental and Irregular Armed Groups in the Syria/Iraq Conflict Zone
The Syrian crisis has made it possible for political institutions to acquire their own military formations. The Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party still has active squadrons, some of which are part of the 5th Corps. Eagles of the Whirlwind ...
... of governmental security institutions (the armed forces and special services). This approach could increase the effectiveness of the fight against so-called Islamic State and other groups. Iran’s experience of operations in Iraq and particularly in Syria demonstrates that exploiting non-governmental and irregular armed groups does not work as planned. The existing groups may be expected to be disbanded as part of the post-conflict settlement process, and their soldiers may subsequently be incorporated into the armed forces in Syria, or into security agencies in ...
