FRI 29 - 3 - 2024
 
Date: Aug 25, 2011
Source: nowlebanon.com
Talking to a defected Syrian army officer
Soldiering on

Nadine Elali

A portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad hangs the flashpoint town of Jisr al-Shughur. A defected Syrian army officer tells NOW Lebanon about the regime’s tactics in its fight against the opposition. (AFP photo/Louai Beshara)
Since the beginning of the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in mid-March, officers have been defecting from the army and are either fleeing the country or joining the opposition.
NOW Lebanon talks to a high-ranking Syrian army officer about how and why he defected, and about his role in the Syrian Free Army. To protect himself and his family, the officer chose to remain anonymous.


Why did you defect, and what do you plan to do next?
Officer: I remained in my position in the beginning of the uprising to support it from the inside; I would organize, prepare and do what I could to see that the demonstrations succeed. When I felt that my cover was going to be blown, I left, but remained in contact with others like myself inside the army. Today I’m part of the Syrian Free Army and am coordinating with the different brigades.

 

Some of us announce defecting, like you see on television, and some don’t to be able to play a better role in the success of the revolution. So technically, the number of those defecting is far greater than what has been announced.


What happened to soldiers who defected and were caught?
Officer: Death. Death is the fate of those defecting or those who refuse to obey orders to shoot at protesters. Most of the executions are happening at military prisons in Tedmor and Saadnaya, where officers are being shot every Monday. Also, some who refuse to shoot at protesters are shot on the spot during the demonstrations. The aim is to set an example for others and to make it look like demonstrators are armed.


Who is the party cracking down on the protesters?
Officer: It’s a combination of army officers, police officers, security officers and the shabiha. Out of the army, the Fourth Brigade, which is one of the biggest brigades, is taking the most part. This brigade is loyal to Maher al-Assad, President Bashar’s brother.
The security forces come from the different security branches under the Ministry of Defense, but mainly the officers are from the Military Security Branch and the Air Force Intelligence, what people refer to as the jawiyah.
The shabiha take a big part in the crackdown because they are vicious. They are mafia and they are smugglers who trade in drugs, cigarettes, weapons, people, body parts. Most were initially wanted by the state or were in prison, but they were released to fight against the demonstrators.


How are troops divided?
Officer:
The troops are divided into fronts. The main front, which is in direct confrontation with protesters, is made up of army officers, and most are from Eastern Syria, because they are quite simple people and are easy to convince, so when you tell them to shoot, they obey. Otherwise they are from the Fourth Brigade.
The second front is usually comprised of some higher-ranking army officers, the security officers and the shabiha. The third front is the snipers on the roofs.


Who is in charge?
Officer: The orders to shoot come from the heads of branches, whether the army, intelligence or security. The head of each branch cannot execute any order without the consent of the Minister of Defense and the commander-in-chief of the army, which is the president himself. A statement is sent to his office stating the situation on the ground and requesting the order, and the reply has always been extermination. Of course, the letter which is sent to him would describe the situation as being that demonstrators are armed to legitimize his order.


Is it true that there are Iranian forces and Hezbollah members assisting regime forces in the crackdown?
Officer: Yes it is true. Hezbollah members are mainly used in the streets; they are well acquainted with battle techniques, while the Syrians are not. Many Syrian officers were left free to grow beards so that the Hezbollah members don’t stand out, but they still do; they are built differently.
At the beginning Iranians were mainly used as snipers, but later on they were taken down to the streets and Syrians took their places on the rooftops.
It was always hard for the Iranians to tell who to shoot at; sometimes there are instigators among the demonstrators planted there by the regime to create strife, and the Iranians don’t know who to shoot.
In places where confrontation is expected, and there’s a risk of them being injured, the Iranians are used to detain protesters and torture them in prisons because if they get hurt, they could be captured by the opposition and shown on TV.


We see many leaked videos of army officers beating up protesters. Who leaks these videos and why?
Officer: These videos are bought and sold. At the beginning demonstrators would film their videos and disseminate them to encourage people to protest and to sway world opinion.
The forces loyal to the regime began filming only to discourage and frighten the demonstrators, but this backfired because media supporting the uprising used the videos to show the cruelty of the regime against its own people.
Later though, those without a cause started selling them, and the videos would vary in price depending on the harshness.
The video in Banias, when soldiers had the demonstrators lying on the floor and they were jumping on them, this was leaked in a different manner. The soldiers were filming for fun, but the film fell in the hands of revolutionaries and was disseminated.


What is the size of the army as compared to the security forces, and where is defection happening most?
Officer: The number of officers in the army is around 250,000, but this can increase if they call upon the reserves. Approximately one third of the army is in the streets now, and the rest are confined to barracks. However, what is important in Syria is the security forces and their size. The size of the security forces is the same as that of the army.
The defections are happening in the army, rarely in the security branches.


What happened to the 61st Army Brigade in Daraa after it defected? Is it true that everyone was killed?
Officer: The head of the 5th squad, which the 61st Brigade is part of, was General Rifaii, who was ordered to crack down on the demonstrations and refused, and he had the support of the officers with him. President Assad himself negotiated with him, but he stuck to his position, saying that he refused to shoot at unarmed men.
They planted a trap for him. An order was then given to him to spread his troops in Daraa but not to shoot at protesters, as he wished, but then his forces were attacked by forces from the Fourth Brigade and they massacred them.


The opposition has started the Syrian Free Army. What is its role in the uprising?
Officer: The Syrian Free Army is independent from the leadership of the revolution, but they maneuver secretly in synchronization with local coordination committees.
The SFA has a strong presence in Idlib headed by Riad al-Asaad, who is one of the highest-ranking officers in Idlib.
The SFA is expanding. Those who are defecting are either staying in their cities like Homs or Daraa, or some leave to Damascus and other areas.


The army has become organized; there are security committees, interrogating committees, surveillance and so forth, and there are up to 6,000 troops.
Their aim is to protect the demonstrators and request that they refrain from arming themselves. The SFA will protect the protesters whenever they are attacked. So, when you hear of armed battles, at most times it is the Syrian Free Army fighting against the regime; it is not a clash between armed protesters and the regime’s forces.


Is the SFA presenting itself as an alternative to the Syrian national army or even the regime?
Officer: When the regime falls, the national Syrian army at large will align itself with the Syrian Free Army and will fall under its leadership. The high-ranking officers that fought alongside the regime will be tried and executed. Here I’d like to emphasize that the Syrian Free Army is not posing itself as an alternative to the regime or a party for the Western world to negotiate with. Its aim is to see the success of the revolution and to protect those taking part in it with complete faith in what they will accomplish after the regime’s fall.


This interview has been condensed and edited



 
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