The free syrian army fsa has evolved significantly since its emergence in the summer of 2011. Defected soldiers formed free syrian army antigovernment forces in syria known as the free syrian army have gained ground against the regime of. Aug, 2016 the following collaboratively written article is the result of months of research in a joint project by ryan ofarrell and cody roche. It is an umbrella group comprising small, ideologically moderate, and uncoordinated militias and battalions. I found this other independent source that helped corroborate the pdf s. Syria, code of conduct of the free syrian army how does. The group was founded by colonel riad alasad, a former syrian air force officer who defected in july 2011.
How the free syrian army became a largely criminal enterprise. The pdfs also have bibliographies and it seems to me that they did their research. The free syrian army on the local level engages and ambushes the states shabiha militia and confronts the army during which it encourages defections. Recently, the opposition has established a new national military structure that may grow to serve this purpose. Army of conquest was formed by islamist rebel factions mainly active in the. The fsa formed in 2011 when peaceful protests in syria were met with violent force from syrian government forces.
It initial fighting force were predominantly members of defected syrian armed forces personnel and volunteers. Emre peker and donna abunasr, syrian armed forces desertion said to surge to 60,000, bloomberg, march 15, 2012. Formed on 23 august 2011, the national council is a coalition of antigovernment groups, based in turkey. This pdf talks about deployment and the activities of the syrian army during this conflict. Free syrian army wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. However, by march 2012, many more soldiers, unhappy with crackdowns on prodemocracy protesters, switched sides and turkish officials said that 60,000 soldiers had deserted the syrian army, including. Jun 29, 2016 absolutely theyre identical twins and work hand in hand to achieve the same goal. Continuing pressure from syrian nationalist groups forced the french to evacuate their troops in april 1946, leaving the country in the hands of a republican government that had been formed during the mandate.
The free syrian army, which is considered moderate when compared to islamist rebel groups in syria, was formed at the start of the syrian civil war in august 2011. Arabi assuri, is the land force branch of the syrian armed forces. A member of the free syrian army stands guard at a checkpoint after clashes with progovernment forces in. Proregime paramilitary groups nov 7th carter center. Dec 20, 2017 state of the free syrian army at the outset of 2015. The free syrian army fsa has evolved signifi cantly since its emergence in the summer of 2011.
Jul 29, 2011 the free syrian army arabic language, aljaysh assuri al. Contents syrian arab republic princeton university. Nusras crushing of the srf and harakat hazm did not end the fsa in the north. The free syrian army fsa is an armed opposition organization.
The free syrian army fsa and the turkish troops plan to launch a new operation in northern syria in the next few weeks, one of the fsa field commanders ahmed usman told tass on friday. The turkishbacked free syrian army tfsas first known engagement was a joint operation with the turkish armed forces. As syrian president bashar al assads hold on western parts of syria solidifies, the cia. The syrian army, officially the syrian arab army saa arabic. The free syrian army, a rebel umbrella group formed by defectors from the syrian army in july, claimed leadership over the armed opposition fighting in syria, but its authority was largely unrecognized by the local militias.
The free syrian army has an interest in amplifying its activities to encourage defections. The formation of the syrian national army was officially announced on 30 december 2017 in azaz. By december 2011, estimates of the number of defectors to the fsa ranged from 1,000 to over 25,000. Usman, who is a member of the syrian oppositions high negotiations committee delegation to the geneva talks, claimed that the new operation between the. A free syrian army fighter carries his weapon as he smokes a cigarette near the frontline of otaiba, in alghouta region in the eastern rural suburbs of damascus, august 15, 20. As the syrian uprising spread in 2011, neither aljaysh alshabi, nor other baath cadres. Initially established with the grand objective of representing a nationwide resistance organization. Syria, code of conduct of the free syrian army how does law. There were other large fsa units in the idlib and aleppo regions e.
Syrian army colonel defects, forms free syrian army, asharq al. Syrian subgroups merge to form new national army under turkey. Work through the syrian opposition coalitionand ideally a government established on syrian territoryto establish close working relationships with carefully vetted units of the free syrian army, providing those units with training, equipment, and other forms of support including training in transitional justice. Jaysh alislam the islam army, the islam brigade is a syrian opposition group that aims to depose the assad regime. Absolutely theyre identical twins and work hand in hand to achieve the same goal. Defectors formed the free syrian army as the armed wing of the uprising, and engaged in combat with security forces and soldiers around syria. The free syrian army fsa and its supporters have produced a stream.
It started from local military forces created by france after world war i. A lack of unity has made cooperation and coordination difficult on the battlefield and has limited the effectiveness of rebel operations. This organization remained as a reserve force until bashar alassads presidency, which saw efforts to demilitarize syrian society, including the ruling baath party. The supreme military command is currently the only organization that could serve to fill the security vacuum left by this transformation. The nonstate militant landscape in syria combating. They were joined by brave civilians whose families and homes were destroyed by assads aggression. The free syrian army began with a core group of senior officers who defected from the syrian army and recruited thousands of soldiers and civilians.
The free syrian army was formed by honorable officers, junior officers, and soldiers who defected from the regime because they refused to kill their fellow citizens. Fragmentation and disorganization have plagued syrias armed opposition since peaceful protestors took up arms in december 2011 and began forming rebel groups under the umbrella of the free syrian army. Methodology we have divided the known active syrian opposition and associated factions into seven categories. Us vs free syrian army vs jabhat alnusra and isis new. Kadis mission was to bring it to the free syrian army, or fsa, the u. The free syrian army fsa is a loose faction in the syrian civil war founded on 29 july 2011. Military council of the free syrian army would be founded, which took place on. The structure and organization of the syrian opposition. Civil unrest religious war proxy warcold war arab winter not just a civil war. Some members of the free syrian army have stated that the organization does not have the resources to occupy and take control of territories, and instead relies primarily on hit and run attacks to prompt the syrian army into withdrawing. Five resistance fighters, five tales of war, victory and defeat. The structure and organization of the syrian opposition center for. Faces of the free syrian army war is boring medium. The army of the syrian opposition, first called the free syrian army fsa, and also called the rebellion or the insurgents, has never succeeded in constituting a centralized and coordinated force.
Kadi, a deeply religious man partial to muslim prayer beads and oddball humor, was a tech whiz with a degree in computer engineering. After his neighbor was killed by his side while protesting in. The bab alsalameh border crossing under syrian rebel control. The national army is a new army composed of 36 different opposition groups under the umbrella of the free syrian army fsa, which has divided into three army corps. Please save or open images in a new tab to see full details. It is the dominant military service of the four uniformed services, controlling the most senior posts in the armed forces, and has the greatest manpower, approximately 80 percent of the combined. April, 17, 2011 syrian protesters shouts slogans calling for president bashar assad to. Initially, the fsa was formed to defend civilians in locations where protests. Free syrian army syrian liberation front syrian islamic front independent brigade alliances approximately 9 brigade alliances jabhat alnusra independent battalions. At october 1, 2011, according to highranking defected syrian colonel riad assaad, 10,000 soldiers, including highranking officers, had deserted the syrian army.
Its banner was soon adopted by armed groups that began appearing across the country. A string of attacks on syrian security forces in recent weeks has put the spotlight on the free syrian army fsa, a group of army deserters said to have been formed by a. Division, fursan alhaq and others who formed the 5th brigade coalition and countless smaller units. A fighter from the free syrian army fired his weapon at the forces of syrias president bashar alassad in jobar, a suburb of damascus, syria, july 27, 2015. In the first day, they took control of jarabulus from isil.
The free syrian army fsa is the moderate armed opposition fighting across syria, to free the syrian people from the assad regime, its foreign militia and daesh. The official aims of the group are to assist the republic of turkey in creating a safe zone in syria, and to establish a national army. The free syrian army institute for the study of war. Composed of defected syrian armed forces personnel and volunteers, its formation was announced on 29 july 2011 in a video released on the internet by a uniformed group of deserters from the. Free syrian army, turkish military likely planning a new. The following months saw increasing defections of syrian army officers, which eventually led to the establishment of the free syrian army fsa, under the command of defected col. The group was formed in 20 through a merger of about fifty damascusbased opposition groups and was initially led by former liwa alislam commander zahran alloush. By december 2011, the fsa estimated it had attracted 15,000 to. Syrian army simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Syrian government forces have taken control of villages in southern syria, state media said. It began suffering battlefield setbacks as early as 20, including some to islamist rebel groups in northern syria, notes al jazeera. This powerful exclusive is the first film to access the free syrian army s secret labyrinth of caves and also holds a rare interview with the fsa leader.
It was the great hope of the rebels, who believed that with sufficient funding and weapons from arab and western states it could bring down bashar assads army. Browse the independents complete collection of articles and commentary on free syrian army. Now some fsa fighters are backing turkeys incursion into. Feb 10, 2018 the free syrian army is formed, backed by armed forces defectors. Free syrian army, the syrian liberation front, the syrian islamic front.
It was form ed by the defected of ficers of the syrian armed forces. Although numerous armed factions that were active across syria soon. Dec, 20 the free syrian army fsa was formed in august 2011 by army deserters based in turkey, led by col riad alasaad. The free syrian army fsa was formed in august 2011 by army deserters based in turkey, led by col riad alasaad. Syria opposition groups form new government in idlib. Today it is composed of different groups and local brigades, originally formed by civilians who took up arms. As the syrian opposition begins to build a transitional government, the smc could create a framework for rebuilding syria s security and governing institutions if. The free syrian army is an army formed in 2011 to oppose the syrian government during the civil war. The free syrian army follows orders from turkey middle. The following collaboratively written article is the result of months of research in a joint project by ryan ofarrell and cody roche. The national council seeks the end of bashar alassads rule and the establishment of a modern, civil, democratic state. To this end, the department of defense began supporting the kurdish democratic union party pyd and its armed wing, the. The free syrian army fsa is an armed opposition organization conducting operations in syria against bashar alasads baathist regime. Formed in doha in 2012, the syrian national coalition provides support to the.
Free syrian army grows in influence syria al jazeera. The attack by the free syrian army fsa on an air force intelligence base in the suburbs of the capital damascus on november 16 has raised the profile of the band of army deserters, who are. Other articles where free syrian army is discussed. Activists committed to preserving the revolts pacifism have a stake in playing down its relevance. Yet after the islamic state is captured mosul and beheaded u. Free syrian army fsa friends of syria supporterswestern nations gulf statessaudi arabia,qatar jordan turkey. As of early 2017 there were some 15,00 fighters loyal to the fsa, according to estimates. May 14, 20 the free syrian army, or fsa, is the largest group within the syrian armed opposition. Around 30 subgroups of the free syrian army fsa have unified under the banner of the countrys national army, the syrian interim government announced on. Free syrian army turns to turkey for support in war. March 20 elizabeth obagy middle east security report.
Thousands of protesters gather in homs to greet them, but the league suspends its. Bashar al assad baath party supportersiran russia chinadiplomatic mostly 2. Some of these defectors had formed the free syrian army, engaging in combat with security forces and soldiers in what would turn into the syrian civil war. Its baseless to say the fsa is a group of defected syrian troops, thats only for western masses to buy. Damascus in the free syrian army s most highprofile attack since protests began. The term was first used by the turkeybased military defector colonel riad alasaad, who in late july 2011 issued a statement proclaiming himself supreme commander of a rebel. United kingdom and free french occupied the country in july 1941. Currently, it is in its first phase, which includes about 10,000 troops primarily from the euphrates shield region. Ultimately, even if the smc only serves as a mechanism for greater cooperation and coordination, it is a significant development in that it has united the efforts of rebel commanders across syria. The free syrian army media reporting has consistently focused on the free syrian army fsa, but the fsa has always been more of a brand name than an actual organization. A rebel fighter of the southern front of the free syrian army gestures while standing with his fellow fighter near their weapons at the front line in the northwest countryside of deraa march 3, 2015. The national army, syrias largest armed group since the breakout of the civil war in 2011, has reportedly formed under the guidance of turkey.
A formal organization at its founding, its structure gradually dissipated by late 2012, and the fsa. In july, defectors from the syrian military formed the free syrian army fsa in a refugee camp in turkey. Sep 18, 2018 by july 2011, syrian rebels formed the free syrian army fsa, and a civil war was imminent. Pdf us vs free syrian army vs jabhat alnusra and isis. The free syrian army began in order to fight against the assad regime and for democracy, but a lack of support has changed its direction. The formation of the free syrian army fsa was announced on 29 july 2011 by a group of defecting syrian army officers, encouraging others to defect in order to defend civilian protesters from violence by the state and effect government change.
855 352 1525 383 680 1056 97 580 772 1139 767 547 553 629 407 463 981 1505 1458 488 1543 1064 367 164 721 353 1118 985 825 858 176 355 417 150 715 1053 1403 137 1043 1276