Much insurgent and militia activity is shadowy and difficult to trace, but here is a guide to the main players. The structure and organization of the syrian opposition. Insurgency, terrorism and organised crime in a warming climate analysing the links between climate change and nonstate armed groups abbreviations i executive summary iii i. In 2019, turkey launched a cross border military operation attempting to expel syrian kurdish u. Turkeybacked fighters join forces with hts rebels in. Although in propaganda videos groups claim to be part of the fsa, in reality their chain of command stops at a local commander. Transborder crime, corruption, and sustaining illegal armed groups in latin america. Pdf syria civilian interaction with armed groups in the. Syria, thus, takes great care to avoid public exposure, and it strives in various ways to conceal its responsibility for terrorist attacks around the world. In the televised address, he said, if syria falls in the hands of america, israel and the takfiris, the people of our region will go into a dark period. Saudi arabia, and qatar provide arms to syrian and non syrian armed groups to force president bashar alassad out of power. Today, a proliferation of independent armed groups with distinct modes of organisation and stated goals are fighting in syria, estimated at up to 1,000, including local remnants of the fsa, umbrella groups such as the islamic front and the syrian islamic liberation front, jihadist groups including islamic state is and jabhat alnusra jn, as well as kurdish military factions. Similarly, kurdishdominated forces have consolidated their control over parts of northern syria. At the same time, armed groups have continued to splinter and proliferate.
Armed groups also use sexual violence and sexual slavery as part of their operations. The clarion project is committed to working towards safeguarding human rights for all peoples. An overview defined as the worst humanitarian disaster since the end of the cold war,1 the syrian civil war has to date claimed over 200,000 casualties, including over 8,000 documented killings of children under eighteen years of. Rival armed groups ally with each other in northern syria against president assads forces in a battle for survival. We already announced we wish to establish an islamic. Syria civilian interaction with armed groups in the syrian conflict wisam elhamoui and sinan alhawat wisam elhamoui is a syrian civil society activist focusing on emergency practice and conflicttransformation.
As are an alphabet soup of armed opposition groups. April, 17, 2011syrian protesters shouts slogans calling for president bashar assad to step down during a protest to express solidarity with syrian people in front of the syrian embassy in. The syrian conflict and international support for rebel groups. Insurgency, terrorism and organised crime in a warming. Trafficking in persons related to armed conflict also occurs. He is currently working in gaziantep, turkey, on a. Syrian progovernment armed groups and issues related to. The armed conflict in syria has accelerated in recent months. List of armed groups in syria to identify them as terrorists or moderates, official says by mohammad ghazal nov 19,2015 last updated at nov 19,2015 amman jordan is expected to classify groups in syria into several categories depending on whether they are considered terrorists, not terrorists, or subject to debate, a government official. Occasional paper understanding irans role in the syrian. Some communities have sought to engage directly with armed groups to reduce.
There are believed to be as many as 1,000 armed opposition groups in syria, commanding an estimated 100,000 fighters. A spotlight on the moderates in response to the declaration of a caliphate by the nonkstate armed group islamic state is in june 2014, an international coalition was formed to. The clarion project formerly clarion fund is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to educating both policy makers and the public about the growing phenomenon of islamic extremism. Human rights violations during the syrian civil war have been numerous and serious, with united nations reports stating that the war has been characterized by a complete lack of adherence to the norms of international law by the warring parties who. Transborder crime and corruption combine to sustain criminal syndicates, illegal armed groups and terrorist organizations that operate within latin america or use latin america as a source of funds, weapons, and other contraband to stage operations elsewhere in the world. Arab democratic party until 2014 arab movement party.
Skidmore research assistant, ict january 2014 the views expressed in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the. Its mission is to be an analytical, researchled global forum for informing, influencing and. The protection needs of minorities from syria and iraq 5 executive summary the whole population of syria and iraq is feeling the toll of the armed conflicts in their countries. Daraa 2011, syrias islamist insurrection in disguise. They will do this by first conducting research in syria to create syria specific civilian protection training materials that can be used to train opposition groups. Mar 22, 2018 bassam kassoumeh is a syrian researcher focusing on governance, conflict resolution, peacebuilding and statebuilding. As the syria conflict persists and the humanitarian crisis in the region worsens. A look at the intricacies of the wests methods of unconventional warfare over the last several years, finally miring syria in a state of war. Armed opposition groups target civilians either to retaliate against, or because they perceive them to support, the government.
In 20, for the first time since world war ii, the number of those forcibly displaced from their homes exceeded 50 million. In spite of a strangely disjointed authors note introduction, this is a solid account of early 21st century western methods of covertproxy warfare with syria as its main focus. He is currently working in gaziantep, turkey, on a project to empower local. Sep 19, 2017 this forced movement to syria occurs in a chaotic and disorganised manner. A spotlight on the moderates in response to the declaration of a caliphate by the nonkstate armed group islamic state is in june 2014, an international coalition was formed to carry out air strikes on is, while several countries. Humanitarian response capacity in syria, both internal and crossborder, is overwhelmed in many areas. Putins middle east game changer satellite imagery provided by allsource analysis confirms the recent arrival of russian main battle tanks, armored personnel carriers, helicopters, and other military equipment at an airbase in syrias coastal latakia province, indicating that russia has deployed troops inside syria. Militarily, they mean that hundreds of armed groups emerged to. This report outlines the development of ahrar alsham and explores the.
April, 17, 2011 syrian protesters shouts slogans calling for president bashar assad to step down during a protest to express solidarity with syrian people in front of the syrian embassy in. Syria civilian interaction with armed groups in the syrian conflict. Almost immediately after the beginning of the armed conflict between the syrian government and the opposition in march 2011 it began the consolidation of many political and military groups in the country and abroad. Feb 20, 2016 usbacked militia groups now fighting each other in syria president barack obamas confused strategy in syria means towns are now being fought over by different usbacked groups. Some armed groups told human rights watch that they prohibit child recruitment, or have taken preliminary steps to end the practice. Syriac christian militia denounces assad, other backward. Assessing options for regime change daniel byman, michael doran, kenneth pollack, and salman shaikh syria is trapped on a crumbling precipice. The syrian armed conflict began in 2011 as a civil uprising against the.
Syria civilian interaction with armed groups in the. With armed groups in the midst of violence accord insight 2. Recently, a statement went out calling for direct attacks against them. We stand as i said not only against the acts and policies of the assad regime but all the other backward, extreme and terrorist groups which target and threaten the existence of our people in syria, sewerios malke of the estimated 2,000strong syriac military council mfs militia told breitbart news. Salafi jihadi armed groups and conflict deescalation the case of ahrar alsham in syria abstract in the syrian civil war, the salafi jihadi armed group ahrar alsham was one of the largest and most powerful nonstate armed groups. Legal, political, security and operational implications rana banerji, amb retd amar sinha, and fawad poya in conversation at ipcs to discuss the multidim.
Over the past six months, the tahrir institute for middle east policy has sponsored this integral working group of young syria, middle east, and u. Summary killings and other abuses by armed opposition. Its primary backers are the united states, great britain, france, germany, italy, turkey, egypt, jordan, saudi arabia, qatar, and the united arab emirates. Shabiha is a name derived from the smuggling groups that hailed from syrias alawite minority. Through the analysis of opensource information related to the syrian conflict and consultations with stakeholders on the ground, the center has documented and mapped over 200,000 conflict events in syria, as well as the changing relations between thousands of armed groups and their areas of control, and frontline changes throughout the conflict. Usbacked militia groups now fighting each other in syria.
From the perspective of the gulf states, first and foremost saudi arabia and qatar, the syria crisis offers an opportunity to reverse tehrans considerable growth in influence since the 2003 iraq war and strengthen their own positions. Among the signatory rebel groups were alnusra front, ahrar ashsham and altawheed. Parts two, three and four are thematically intertwined and discuss the issues of freedom of movement, reconciliation process concerning civilians and return to. Response congressional research service summary the rise of the insurgent terrorist group known as the islamic state is, aka the islamic state of iraq and the levant or isilisis and russias military intervention on behalf of the syrian. International protection considerations with regard to. End kidnappings, forced confessions, and executions. Syria actors european asylum support office european union. Its mandate ranges across all the dimensions of international policy debate in australia economic, political and strategic and it is not limited to a particular geographic region. When we lack direct access, we contact stakeholders by other means, outside syria, or by proxy. The rising and acceleration of the shia armed group in iraq, syria, yemen, and lebanon require a deep understanding of the root of the multidimensional conflicts in the middle east. List of armed groups in syria to identify them as terrorists. Furthermore, the report evaluates the armed opposition in syria, for example its recruitment in syria and lebanon and. Government forces and other armed groups have used rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war throughout the conflict.
The experts state that the syrian government will not tolerate the pro government armed groups competing with the government for recruits and resources after the fighting is over. In parallel, the control over territory by and the military capabilities of antigovernment armed groups and isis have diminished. Moderate armed groups in the syrian conflict, october 2015 international boundary national capital main town other town border crossing road dispatch no. Syria, then, sees in the strategy of indirect involvement a convenient and preferred method of achieving its aims, both in the international and interarab arena, and against israel. Heras, the bacevich fellow at the center for a new american security. Noninternational armed conflict there are multiple and overlapping noninternational armed conflicts niacs taking place in syria. The dead bodies found every day in towns and villages across syria bearing marks of executionstyle killing and torture are the grim evidence of mounting war crimes and other abuses being committed not just by government forces, but also by armed opposition groups in the context of the countrys bitter internal armed conflict. Protection of civilians in syria clinton foundation. While none of that sounds novel to observers of the eastern congo, a couple of. Arrests, torture by armed group human rights watch. Guided light weapons reportedly held by nonstate armed. Pol 4017962015 amnesty international june 2015 executive summary in the past two years, the world has witnessed a growing refugee crisis. Syria civilian interaction with armed groups in the syrian.
Crisis group has continued to cover the situation in syria since 2011. Noninternational armed conflicts in syria conflict type. Both regime and rebels see themselves in a fight for survival that leaves no room for compromise. This report complements the existing information base by improving understanding of the protection needs of religious and ethnic minority groups from syria and iraq.
Some protestors began to take up arms to defend themselves and, as fighting escalated, the country descended into civil war. Progovernment militia autonomy on the battlefield in syria. We have deployed analysts and consultants in areas held by the syrian government, rebel groups, as well as the ypg. Sana dispatches january 2016 2 syrias armed opposition. Members of one of syria s armed opposition elements in. Another source of tension is the open criticism of the syrian government and the mukhabarat by some of the armed groups. Proregime paramilitary groups nov 7th carter center. In a january 2020 press release, the syrian observatory for human rights released its tally of all fatalities in the syrian civil war up to that point, broken down by faction. Turkeybacked fighters join forces with hts rebels in idlib.
This militia is threatening american troops in syria nyt. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. The us military did not name the individual groups that received the small arms ammunition but said. In some conflicts, for example, the prospect of receiving sex slaves as a reward for joining the group is part of the armed groups strategies to recruit new fighters9. How america armed terrorists in syria the american. The armed conflict in syria has exemplified some of the most worrying features of contemporary warfare, such as indiscriminate attacks, the use of siege warfare, the fragmentation of nonstate armed groups nsags, the intervention of multiple external actors, attacks on cultural property and on medical personnel and health care facilities, and so on. Russias policy on syria after the start of military engagement. Russias policy on syria after the start of military. Regional and human security implications benedetta berti the refugee population. The syrian government and its allies are involved in niacs against a wide array of rebel groups. The momentum generated by the increased movement back to syria precipitates further movement back with severe protection consequences. The syrian armed conflict began in 2011 as a civil war, stemming.
The aim was to carry out political reforms and the liberalization of public life, while others have called for the immediate. Research article international legal obligations of armed. Armed groups fighting under the flag of the free syrian army have generally been unable to secure the resources necessary to develop sufficient. In syria, civic will develop a oneyear project to instill civilian protection principles and tactics within some members of the syrian opposition. The syrian civil war has already undermined the strategic alliance between iran and hamas. Armed groups and state fragmentation in the middle east new york, 2019, as well as. Whos who in syrias civil war council on foreign relations. Aogs heavily manned by civilians and that iden tified themselves as part of the fsa. In stark contrast to the sparse coverage of the brutality of isis and other terrorist groups in syria over the past few years, there has recently been substantial coverage of the emergence of isis. The combating alqaeda in syria strategy group was formed in july 2016 by nicholas a. In 2014, the armed conflicts in syria and iraq intensified and included jihadi success and, especially, the rise of the islamic state is. The global refugee crisis amnesty international usa. Ipcs discussion afghanistan and the ustaliban agreement. Oct 12, 2015 us airdrops ammunition to syrian rebel groups after strategy shift.
Us airdrops ammunition to syrian rebel groups after strategy. Civilian interaction with armed groups in the syrian conflict. Armed groups agree on codes of conduct to respect international humanitarian law and rights july 3 rd 2014 last may, 54 brigades of the secular oppositional free syrian army fsa, who are operating in the south of syria under the name southern front have discussed, drafted and agreed on a code of. Hezbollah, iraqi and iranian sponsored groups, fighting alongside the syrian army and the relations between these actors are also discussed. The literature of this dissertation has based on the ongoing syrian armed conflict, it tries to address various issues of ihl, and however, it aims to address the issue of the legal status of the members of the armed groups in syria when they are.
Salafi jihadi armed groups and conflict deescalation. Syrian rights groups have documented hundreds of other cases of detention by the group in aleppo and idlib governorates, including at least 184 in the last three months, according to one organization. In stark contrast to the sparse coverage of the brutality of isis and other terrorist groups in syria over the past few years, there has recently been substantial coverage of the emergence of isis in iraq and the terrorist acts that this usbacked and funded grou p has been committing. Response congressional research service 2 emerged as a persistent challenge for u. Introduction around 18 thousand people by july 20121 have died in syria since the beginning of the uprising in march 2011. Civilian interaction with armed groups in syria conflict has ravaged syria since 2011, when president bashar alassads regime responded severely to nationwide prodemocracy demonstrations. Transborder crime, corruption, and sustaining illegal. Human rights violations during the syrian civil war.