Who's who is Syrian War : Quick Intro.

[Kao Boy]

The war in Syria, which has been raging for more than three years, is much more than a local, national issue. Millions of Syrian refugees have flooded into neighboring Jordan to the south, into Lebanon to the west and into Turkey to the north. In addition, sectarian violence between Sunni and Shiite Muslim communities has spilled over into Lebanon, the conflict is exacerbating the cycle of violence in Iraq and there have been sporadic incidents of mortar and artillery fire landing in Israel as well.

Because of the extremely fluid situation on the ground, as well as the dangerous conditions for journalists that exist, accurate up-to-date information is difficult to obtain. Over three years of fighting and horrific human rights abuses have led to an increasingly sectarian patchwork of groups, beset by shifting alliances and power struggles.

Human rights abuses that have been confirmed include but are not limited to:

• Chemical Weapons attacks on civilian areas
• Barrel bombing civilian areas
• Widespread use of rape as a weapon of war
• Summary executions of prisoners, including children
• Mutilation and display of corpses, including crucifixion
• Torture, including of children

THE REGIME

Who: Forces fighting for President Bashar al-Assad. His core supporters are from the Alawite minority to which he belongs.

Ideology: Baathist, Secularist, Arab Nationalist

Supporting States: Russia, Iran

Goals: Preserving Assad’s regime



Syrian Armed Forces

Commander: Fahd Jassem al-Freij

What: The National Armed forces of the state of Syria

Goal: Preserving Assad regime

Side: Regime

Component Groups: Infantry, Artillery, Tanks, Air Force

Estimated Strength: 220-280,000, Artillery, Air Power (Russian MiGs)

Strengths / Tactics: Dropping barrel-bombs on civilian areas

Find out more...



Al-Quds Force and Basij Militia (Iran)

Commander: Qasem Soleimani

What: Iranian Revolutionary Guard's Special Forces andParamilitary Support Units

Goal: Iranian regional hegemony

Side: Regime

Ideology: Shi'ite Islamist, Iranian Nationalist

Component Groups: Al-Quds Force, Basij Militias

Estimated Strength: Quds Force 15,000 total, Basij Militias unknown

Strengths / Tactics: Elite infantry force, superior training and military intel

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National Defense Forces (NDF) and Allied Paramilitary Groups

Commanders: NDF unknown, Others: Mihrac Ural

What: Militia groups supporting Assad's regime. NDF is the best known and largest.

Goal: Maintaining Assad’s regime

Side: Regime

Ideology: Shiites, Alawites, Baathists, Sunnis,Communists, Christians

Component Groups: NDF, Ba'ath Brigades (BB), TSR, Others

Estimated Strength: 100,000 for the NDF, BB 10,000

Strengths / Tactics: Brutal, guerrilla tactics

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Hezbollah

Commander: Hassan Nasrallah

What: Lebanese Shi'ite terrorist group formed to fight Israel

Goal: Supporting Iran/Assad strategic alliance

Side: Regime, Iran

Ideology: Shiite Islamism

Component Groups: None

Estimated Strength: 20,000-30,000 (25% full-time active)

Strengths / Tactics: Well-trained, disciplined fighting force which turned the tide for the Regime at Qusayr and Yabroud battles

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THE REBELS

Who: Forces fighting against President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Combination of Sunni Islamists, secularist forces and Kurdish and other militias.

Supporting States: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, (to a lesser extent the USA and some European countries)

Goals: Removing Assad from power, many aim for the creation of an Islamic state, Kurds aim for autonomy



Islamic Front

Commander: Ahmed Issa al-Sheik (from Suqour al-Sham)

What: A coalition of Islamist brigades

Goal: The removal of Assad and later creation of an Islamic State, Jihad

Side: Rebels, Islamists. Cooperates with Jabhat Al-Nusra

Ideology: Sunni Islamism

Component Groups: Ahrar as-Sham, Suquor al-Sham Brigades, The Tawhid Brigade, The Haq Brigade, The Ansar al-Sham Battalions, The Islam Army

Estimated Strength: 40,000 to 70,000 (March 5th)

Strengths / Tactics: Syria's most powerful insurgent bloc, slightly more moderate Salafi Islamism than Nusra or ISIS

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Jabhat Al-Nusra

Commander: Abu Mohammed al-Joulani

What: Al Qaeda's official affiliate in the Syrian conflict

Goal: Global Islamic caliphate, Jihad

Side: Rebels, Islamists.

Ideology: Sunni Islamism

Component Groups: None

Estimated Strength: 15,000-20,000

Strengths / Tactics: Suicide bombings

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Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (AKA: ISIS, ISIL, DAASH)

Commander: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

What: Terrorist group establishing state, formed from Islamic State of Iraq

Goal: An Islamic state in parts of Iraq and Syria, Global Islamic caliphate

Side: Rebels, Islamists

Ideology: Sunni Islamism

Component Groups: None

Estimated Strength: Reliable estimate unavailable

Strengths / Tactics: Brutality, implementation of sharia

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Free Syrian Army

Commander: Various, officially Abdul-Ilah al-Bashir. Syrian Revolutionary Front (SRF)- Jamal Ma'aruf

What: Umbrella of broadly secularist rebel forces formed mainly from Syrian army deserters

Goal: End of the Assad regime, democratic state

Side: Rebels

Ideology: Broadly secularist, some Islamist elements/sympathies

Component Groups: Supreme Military Council, Syrian Revolutionary Front (SRF), Euphrates Islamic Liberation Front, others

Estimated Strength: Reliable estimate unavailable

Strengths / Tactics: Western backed official opposition, comparatively poor funding (under National Coalition of Syria).

Find out more...





INDEPENDENTS



Popular Protection Units (YPG) and Allies

Commander: Sipan Hemo

What: Kurdish and allied militia groups in northeastern Syria, some Christian allies

Goal: Kurdish autonomy

Side: Against Islamists, aim for autonomy from Assad regime

Ideology: Kurdish Nationalist, Christian Syriac Military Council (SMC)

Component Groups: YPG, Syriac Military Council

Estimated Strength: 40,000-50,000

 

[Dalit]

Some say Pakistan should join this mess...

 

[Hack-Hook]

Too much alcohol consumption on the writer side

 

[NP-complete]

American wars are always a mess whether they fight themselves or make others fight.

 

[EAK]

Too much alcohol consumption on the writer side

what's wrong in it..?

 

[T-72M1]

why so complicated, it's just putin side (which includes Iran) vs the rest .

 

[Hack-Hook]

what's wrong in it..?

too much simplification, too much generalisation, too much nonsense.