Syria: Foreign fighters assigned to senior positions in the army

Syria’s new leaders have reportedly given some foreign Islamist 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 overthrow of Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.

While there has been no confirmation of the move from the new leadership, it is likely to raise concerns inside and outside Syria about the role radicalized foreign militants could play in the country’s future.

Several Syrian sources have deduced that of almost 50 new military roles announced, at least six have gone to foreigners.

According to the names that have been published, they are said to include Chinese Uyghurs, a Jordanian and a Turk. It is said that all of them were assigned high-ranking positions such as colonels or brigadier generals.

The role of foreign fighters in various armed groups during the civil war stirs strong feelings in Syria.

Thousands of fighters from many different countries joined the uprising against Assad when it turned into an all-out armed conflict as security forces responded with violence to mass protests.

Some formed their own groups and others formed the core of the Islamic State group, which took control of large regions in eastern Syria.

HTS’s opponents had long accused it of being largely made up of foreign jihadists, an accusation Assad’s supporters used to try to delegitimize the group as it mounted its final, decisive offensive against the regime.

But in the years he ran the rebel enclave in Idlib, Ahmed al-Sharaa – leader of HTS and now Syria – had been getting rid of some of those foreign fighters in a bid to bolster his group’s credentials as nationalist rather than openly jihadist force.

Al-Sharaa’s message since taking power has time and again emphasized the vision of a unified Syrian state, in which all communities must be respected and have a say.

For those who worry that their actions may not match their words, this apparent move to formalize the positions of some prominent foreign fighters may give them further pause for thought.

The appointments appear to have been made to reward those fighters – whether from Syria or elsewhere – who played an important role in the ultimate triumph over the regime.

For the same reason, it now appears likely that some of the remaining foreign fighters – along with their families – will obtain Syrian citizenship.

The issue is just one of many that could complicate any successful transition to a new political and social framework in Syria.

The new authorities attach great importance to a National Dialogue Conference that is being prepared to bring together representatives from all sectors of society, although a date has not yet been set.

The hope is that the conference will launch the process to rebuild the institutions of the broken and divided country.