{"id":19823,"date":"2013-09-22T16:40:46","date_gmt":"2013-09-22T20:40:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/?p=19823"},"modified":"2013-09-22T16:40:46","modified_gmt":"2013-09-22T20:40:46","slug":"aymenn-al-tamimi-speaks-to-ali-kayali-and-profiles-the-syrian-resistance-a-pro-assad-militia-force","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joshualandis.com\/blog\/aymenn-al-tamimi-speaks-to-ali-kayali-and-profiles-the-syrian-resistance-a-pro-assad-militia-force\/","title":{"rendered":"Aymenn al-Tamimi Speaks to Ali Kayali and Profiles “The Syrian Resistance,” a Pro-Assad Militia Force"},"content":{"rendered":"

A\u00a0Case Study of “The Syrian Resistance,” a Pro-Assad Militia Force<\/b><\/h2>\n

\"Aymennby Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi for Syria Comment<\/p>\n

Much has been written of the variety of factions and fragmentation on the rebel side of the Syrian civil war, but comparatively little analysis exists of the various pro-Assad militias, commonly known as shabiha<\/i>, who as Aron Lund notes<\/a> can be Sunni, Alawite, Kurdish, or Christian. Here, I intend to examine one such group called al-Muq?wama as-S?r?ya<\/i> (\u201cThe Syrian Resistance\u201d\u2014TSR), under the leadership of a Turkish-born Alawite by the name of Mihrac Ural, also known as Ali Kayali. (Previous posts on Syria Comment dealing with Ural\/Kayali include those found here<\/a> and here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

TSR had prior to the uprising and civil war operated under the name of \u201cPopular Front for the Liberation of the Sanjak of Alexandretta,\u201d referring to the strip of land around Hatay in southern Turkey with a substantial Alawite population, the loss of which has never truly been accepted by Syria. Since the outbreak of the conflict in Syria, however, the group adopted TSR as interchangeable with its original name, and is confining operations entirely within Syria, with headquarters in Latakia.<\/p>\n

Ostensibly, in line with many other self-declared liberation groups (e.g. the Basque Country\u2019s ETA, and the early Kurdish PKK which established links with Hafez al-Assad through Kayali), TSR\u2019s ideology is Marxist-Leninist, with particular reverence accorded to the symbol of communist resistance, Che Guevara.<\/p>\n

\"Screenshot<\/p>\n

Figure 1: Screenshot of a speech by Kayali on the anniversary of the Sabra and Shatila massacres. Note the background portrait featuring Bashar al-Assad, Che Guevara, and Kayali himself.<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/p>\n

Figure 2: Photo of Kayali with Che Guevara in the background.<\/b><\/p>\n

The concept of Syrian nationalism also features heavily in TSR\u2019s public discourse and rhetoric, tied in with the Assad regime\u2019s promotion of \u2018resistance\u2019 to Western imperialism. Thus, in a statement to me from TSR\u2019s press office, I was told that TSR does not get involved in \u201cinternal politics, the penal code, disputes or disagreements.\u201d Rather, \u201cour problem is with the foreign enemy and with the terrorists who want to destroy our nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Concomitant with the Syrian nationalist image is the claim from the press office that \u201cour members are from the various fabrics of Syria, from all the religions, sects and ethnicities. We fight together.\u201d Similarly, in an interview with me, Kayali emphasized that TSR supposedly has supporters among \u201cAhl as-Sunnah\u201d and Christians.<\/p>\n

In the context of messaging, songs unique to TSR\u2014with lyrics featuring distinctive Syrian dialect\u2014have played a key role. For instance, one song recently released to the accompaniment of oud includes the lyrics: \u201cWe are the men of Muq?wama, we are not content with bartering\u2026we want to uproot terrorism.\u201d At the same time the group has not forgotten the aspirations for the liberation of Alexandretta, as this song also features the line: \u201cAntioch is resting in my heart.\u201d Here is another song<\/a> released by TSR combining motifs of protecting the wa?an <\/i>of Syria while referencing Alexandretta. Further, here<\/a> is a TSR song entitled \u201cWe are the men of the Syrian Resistance.\u201d Opening lyrics include, \u201cWe are the men of the sun. We are from the people\u2026.Your people, Syria, are resistance.\u201d Many of these songs feature a familiar slogan from Kayali: \u201cSyria will never bow.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, beneath this image of Syrian nationalism and leftist ideology lies a more narrow sectarian emphasis on defending the Alawite and Twelver Shi\u2019a communities. Despite the admiration shown for the atheist Che Guevara, Kayali himself cares deeply about his religious heritage and is in this respect similar to most Turkish Alawites who have generally clung to their religious traditions in contrast to the multi-faceted nature of Alawite identity in Syria (see my articles here<\/a> and here<\/a> on this matter). Indeed, in his interview with me, Kayali spoke at length of Alawite reverence for the \u2018Ahl al-Bayt\u2019: that is, the household of Prophet Mohammed and his descendants.<\/p>\n

Besides the widely circulated footage<\/a> of Kayali from earlier this year in which he apparently calls for the necessity of cleansing Sunni areas on the coastline (most notably Baniyas), Kayali is also frequently shown in TSR media output appearing with Alawite sheikhs, one of whom was the well-known Muwaffaq al-Ghazal<\/a>, who enjoyed close ties with Kayali and was later killed by Jabhat al-Nusra as part of the \u201cEye for an Eye\u201d revenge operations announced by Sheikh Abu Mohammed al-Jowlani against Alawite villages in retaliation for the chemical weapons attacks in East Ghouta.<\/p>\n

\"Kayali,<\/p>\n

Figure 3: From left to right in a recent meeting at TSR\u2019s Latakia headquarters: Kayali, an unidentified Alawite sheikh, and Ali Haider, who heads the government-aligned Syrian Social Nationalist Party and current minister for National Reconciliation.<\/b><\/p>\n

Looking at TSR\u2019s range of operations is also relevant here. In fact, it is sometimes thought that TSR is not a meaningful military force on the ground in Syria, but this perception must be corrected. According to Kayali and one other TSR fighter, TSR has participated in operations against rebels in Latakia, the\u00a0Homs area (where sectarian warfare has played a key element in the fighting), the al-Ghab plain (an area of fertile land<\/a> east of Latakia and covering parts of Hama and Idlib governorates), Jisr ash-Shughur in Idlib, and the two Twelver Shi\u2019a villages of Nubl and Zahar? in Aleppo Governorate, from which TSR has also drawn recruits.<\/p>\n

Of these areas of operation, Latakia is of course the most relevant. Here<\/a> is a video from last month of Kayali rallying TSR fighters in rural Latakia. Kayali addresses his fighters as \u201cthe true Syrians\u201d and speaks of their opponents- from Jabhat al-Nusra and the Free Army- as \u201cforeigners,\u201d who have \u201cno religion, faith, book, or Lord.\u201d Rather, they are \u201cthese kuffar <\/i>[Islamic term for disbelievers], these takfiri Salafists.\u201d These remarks, in pronouncing takf?r <\/i>on the Salafi militants, clearly frame the struggle in religious terms. Kayali also speaks of the necessity of defending the women and the elderly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Ali<\/p>\n

Figure 4: Ali Kayali rallies his men in rural Latakia last month.<\/b><\/p>\n

As Kayali put it to me, the fighters leading the rebel offensive on Latakia in the summer were primarily from Chechnya, Afghanistan [i.e. Afghan Arab veterans<\/a> and the like], the Maghreb, Libya, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf area. Kayali\u2019s testimony is corroborated by examination of the claimed mujahideen martyrs during the Latakia offensive, whose sole aim was to score a psychological victory against the Assad regime by ethnically cleansing Alawites and capturing Assad\u2019s ancestral village Qarda?a by Eid<\/a> (as the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham\u2019s [ISIS] leader had hoped).<\/p>\n

Despite the mujahideen\u2019s initial successes in capturing numerous Alawite villages and apparently being only several miles away from Qarda?a, pro-Assad forces ultimately pushed back and by mid-August, jihadi circles began circulating messages to pray for the mujahideen as the offensive ultimately failed, with fighting now confined to the Jabal al-Akr?d area. Below is a list of claimed jihadi martyrs from the Latakia offensive (\u2018Liberation of the Coast\u2019), which Kayali tells me also cost hundreds of Alawite lives (not necessarily in large-scale massacres of villages).<\/p>\n

\"Abu<\/p>\n

Figure 5: Abu Ashraf al-Tunisi, a Tunisian fighter for ISIS.<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"LibyanFigure 6: Abu Rahmat al-L?b?, a Libyan fighter for ISIS.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Abu<\/p>\n

Figure 7: Abu Ayyub al-Tunisi, a Tunisian fighter for ISIS.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Abd<\/p>\n

Figure 8: Abd al-Hakim al-Alaiwi, a Saudi fighter for ISIS.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Abu<\/p>\n

Figure 9: Abu Turab al-L?b?, a Libyan fighter for ISIS.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Abdullah<\/p>\n

Figure 10: Abdullah ash-Shishani, a Chechen fighter for ISIS but also claimed for the ISIS front-group Jaysh al-Muhajireen wa An??r.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Abu<\/p>\n

Figure 11: Abu al-Waleed al-Tunisi, Tunisian fighter for ISIS.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

Figure 12: Two Libyan fighters in the lush forests of rural Latakia as part of the mujahideen offensive. According to An??r ash-Shar?\u2019a supporters from Tripoli (Libya), the two men are from the northwestern Libyan town of Z?w?ya.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/p>\n

Figure 13: Photo of Latakia forestry taken by the Libyan Shari\u2019a official for the ISIS-front group Katiba al-Muhajireen: Abu ?al?a al-L?b?.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nubl and Zahar? are also relevant in this context because both towns have come under bombardment at the hands of ISIS mujahideen. Following the ISIS-led capture of Mannagh airbase in August, a video emerged showing a large convoy of ISIS fighters<\/a> preparing to head out\u00a0to besiege Nubl and Zahar?.<\/p>\n

\"ISIS<\/p>\n

Figure 14: The ISIS convoy on its way to Nubl and Zahar? following the capture of Mannagh airbase.<\/b><\/p>\n

This month, another video emerged showing the ISIS banner flying on a barren outpost in the Nubl area<\/a>. The area itself looks deserted, and one might feel tempted to conclude that ISIS has conquered the village. However, Kayali tells me that this is not the case.<\/p>\n

\"ISIS<\/p>\n

Figure 15: The ISIS banner on an outpost in the Nubl area.<\/b><\/p>\n

The claimed numbers of both\u00a0TSR members as well as martyrs still need to be scrutinized. The fighter for TSR whom I interviewed claimed that the group has \u201cthousands\u201d of members. This figure may\u00a0invite doubt, but the number of claimed martyrs\u2014as conveyed to me by both this fighter and Kayali\u2014seems relatively modest and reasonable: 30. In fact, Kayali sent me his database of martyrs for TSR so far. I reproduce it below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Name<\/b><\/td>\nMarital Status<\/b><\/td>\nNumber of Children<\/b><\/td>\nParents Still Living<\/b><\/td>\nDate of Death<\/b><\/td>\nLocation of Death<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Maher Ali Zaini<\/td>\nMarried<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n17 September 2011<\/td>\nAl-Janudiya Road (Jisr ash-Shughur)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ma??\u2019 Mohammed Ghandur<\/td>\nMarried<\/td>\n7<\/td>\nDeceased<\/td>\n23 February 2012<\/td>\nJisr ash-Shughur<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Th?\u2019ir Abdullah Abd al-Man\u2019am<\/td>\nMarried<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n7 July 2012<\/td>\nAl-Qasatil Road (Jabal al-Akrad, Latakia)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Reyhan Abdullah Abd al-Man\u2019am<\/td>\nMarried<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n7 July 2012<\/td>\nAl-Qasatil Road<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nawar Adil Reyhan<\/td>\nUnmarried<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n7 July 2012<\/td>\nAl-Qasatil Road<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Rumayl Fu\u2019ad Debo<\/td>\nMarried<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n11 August 2012<\/td>\nBayt Sabera (Latakia)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Namir A?a Gharib<\/td>\nMarried<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n11 August 2012<\/td>\nBayt Sabera<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hisham Adeeb Ismail<\/td>\nUnmarried<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n11 August 2012<\/td>\nBayt Sabera<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Adnan Ibrahim Ismail<\/td>\nMarried<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n11 August 2012<\/td>\nBayt Sabera<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sumar Izz ad-Din Hurmuz<\/td>\nMarried<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n11 August 2012<\/td>\nBayt Sabera<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shadi Yunis Mansur<\/td>\nUnmarried<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n11 August 2012<\/td>\nBayt Sabera<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Osama Medhat Man?\u2019<\/td>\nUnmarried<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n3 September 2012<\/td>\nAl-Kandisiya (Latakia)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Haitham Mohammed Ma\u2019ala<\/td>\nMarried<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n21 September 2012<\/td>\nBayt F?ris (Jabal Turkoman, Latakia)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Imad Yasin Mas?o<\/td>\nMarried<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n24 October 2012<\/td>\nJisr ash-Shughur<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ayham Mahmoud al-Bahr?<\/td>\nMarried<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n19 November 2012<\/td>\nAl-Midan (Homs)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Suhail Saleem Feham<\/td>\nMarried<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n19 November 2012<\/td>\nAl-Midan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mohsen Saleem Feham<\/td>\nMarried<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n19 November 2012<\/td>\nAl-Midan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kenan Ibrahim Feham<\/td>\nUnmarried<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n19 November 2012<\/td>\nAl-Midan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Salim Ali Kusa<\/td>\nMarried<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n21 November 2012<\/td>\nTar?q Fas?al al-Ma\u2019?f (Latakia)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wael Mahmoud Ghandur<\/td>\nMarried<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n21 November 2012<\/td>\nTar?q Fas?al al-Ma\u2019?f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Majid Ahmad Qarifli<\/td>\nMarried<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n21 November 2012<\/td>\nTar?q Fas?al al-Ma\u2019?f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kamal Ahmad Ghandur<\/td>\nUnmarried<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n21 November 2012<\/td>\nTar?q Fas?al al-Ma\u2019?f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ibrahim Malik Suleiman<\/td>\nUnmarried<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n21 November 2012<\/td>\nTar?q Fas?al al-Ma\u2019?f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Milad Rajab Said<\/td>\nUnmarried<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n16 December 2012<\/td>\nAl-Midan (Homs)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Aamer Mumtaz Zanbili<\/td>\nMarried<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n17 December 2012<\/td>\nMan?aqa al-Tanaf (Latakia)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Man\u2019am Mohammed Hurmuz<\/td>\nMarried<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n21 January 2013<\/td>\nDarayya (Damascus?)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Basil Salah Nasir<\/td>\nUnmarried<\/td>\n0<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n30 March 2013<\/td>\nBayt Yashout Road (Latakia)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The above list comprises 27 martyrs for TSR: the casualties are largely concentrated in the defense of Alawite areas of Latakia. A more recent martyrdom was announced this month for the group (see photo below with further images).<\/p>\n

\"Martyr<\/p>\n

Figure 16: \u201cMartyr of the Homeland and the Syrian Resistance: Aamer Mahmoud ?aha.\u201d His death was announced on 9 September 2013. He was killed while fighting rebels in the Jabal Arbaeen area of Idlib. His brother Ibrahim was wounded in the same clashes and subsequently taken to a hospital in Latakia.<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"27<\/p>\n

Figure 17: Portraits of the 27 martyrs from the above database.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Basil<\/p>\n

Figure 18: Close-up photo of Basil Nasir, from the opening of a lengthy <\/strong>video of his funeral<\/strong><\/a> that was held on 31 March, the day after his death.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Mourners<\/p>\n

Figure 19: Mourners hold Basil\u2019s portrait and wave the flag of Syria.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Nawar<\/p>\n

Figure 20: Close-up photo of Nawar Adil Reyhan from a video made by a TSR supporter.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As Syria continues to fragment, one can expect that a breakdown in centralized command structures will also happen on the regime side, allowing for the continued growth of groups like TSR. Indeed, anecdotal evidence already suggests\u00a0the possibility\u00a0that shabiha <\/i>figures are managing imports through the Mediterranean coastline for distribution among the populations in pro-Assad areas. Examining in greater detail the activities of the pro-Assad militias is therefore more important than ever.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi is a Shillman-Ginsburg Fellow at the Middle East Forum and a student at Brasenose College, Oxford University. Follow on Twitter at <\/i>@ajaltamimi<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A\u00a0Case Study of “The Syrian Resistance,” a Pro-Assad Militia Force by Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi for Syria Comment Much has been written of the variety of factions and fragmentation on the rebel side of the Syrian civil war, but comparatively little analysis exists of the various pro-Assad militias, commonly known as shabiha, who as Aron Lund […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11,101,6],"tags":[258,262,273],"class_list":["post-19823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alawites","category-latakia","category-opposition","tag-ali-kayali","tag-mihrac-ural","tag-regime-militias"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nAymenn al-Tamimi Speaks to Ali Kayali and Profiles "The Syrian Resistance," a Pro-Assad Militia Force - 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