By Malin Muhammad
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Political figures and military experts in Syria hold varying opinions regarding the Syrian government’s decisions concerning compulsory military service and reserve duty. Some view these decisions as an attempt to reform the military institution, while others believe they are mere reflections of pervious plans that will not bring about significant change.
Recently, the Syrian government has issued army-related decisions, including incentives and exemption fee options, as part of military reform efforts.
On Dec. 3, Major General Ahmad Suleiman, Director of the General Administration of the Ministry of Defense, revealed that reforms within the military institution are being carried out quietly and discreetly.
In early December, a presidential decree was issued, offering individuals over the age of 40 who have not yet served and are called up for reserve duty, the choice to fulfill their legal obligation by paying a significant cash allowance of 4,800 U.S. dollars or its equivalent in Syrian pounds.
On Dec. 11, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad passed Law No. 28 of 2023, mandating that retired officers holding university degrees, doctorates, and master’s degrees serve in reserve duty until the age of 70, irrespective of the previous age limit.
Mobilization of non-Syrians
Abdullah al-As’ad, a Syrian military expert, believes that the recent recruitment contracts issued by the Ministry of Defense offer nothing new.
He noted that the army has been relying on recruiting unemployed young men from Jableh, Latakia, Tartus, Baniyas, Masyaf, as well as western and eastern Homs, since the time of former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad.
Those recruitment operations were limited to those areas for “sectarian” reasons and were far from being professional or objective, according to al-As’ad.
The military expert believes that the same entities, which he describes as the “deep state”, are behind the new recruitment decisions.
He referred to a televised interview with a Russian general that took place before direct Russian military intervention in Syria. In that interview, the general stated that they do not recognize Syria as a sovereign state.
He said that recent recruitment in the “Syrian Army” has been facilitated by Iranians.
“The gaps within the ranks of the army have been filled by the Iranian-backed militias of Fatemiyoun and Zainebiyoun, consisting of individuals from Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Lebanon,” al-As’ad said.
He further said that “these militants, who have participated in the killing of Syrian people, have been granted citizenship and enlisted in the army.”
He argues that allowing individuals to pay instead of fulfilling reserve duty goes against the purpose of reserves, which should be based on service rather than money.
This decision, he says, indicates that the Ministry of Defense is not summoning these officers out of necessity for their service but rather to take their money.
Relaying on volunteers
Ahmad al-Darzi, a Syrian politician, believes that the recent plan announced by the Ministry of Defense is actually a pre-existing plan that predates the Syrian civil war in 2011. According to this plan, a new professional army would be established, relying on volunteers and granting Syrians the freedom to choose between mandatory and voluntary service.
He further stated that armies worldwide rely on this structure to achieve better results compared to those based on mandatory military service.
However, the shift to a volunteer-based system will happen slowly over several years as they need to build up the necessary capabilities and increase the number of volunteers. Mandatory service will eventually be abolished, but it will not happen immediately, he noted.
Al-Darzi holds that the war has exposed a significant performance disparity between volunteer formations from auxiliary forces and allied forces supporting Syria, in contrast to the regular army comprised of conscripts.
He attributes this difference to the experience and motivation that volunteers possess, highlighting a potential lack of such qualities among those who are conscripted into the army.
Al-Darzi dismisses the involvement of any foreign state in this decision, emphasizing that it is a centrally made decision in Damascus aimed at evaluating the military situation.
However, he does not rule out the possibility of seeking consultations with other countries that have their own experiences, including but not limited to Russia and Iran.
Al-Darzi believes that allowing reservists to pay an exemption fee is a positive measure because it tackles the problem of many young people who, when called up for mandatory or reserve service, choose not to join the army and instead evade their duty by leaving the country.
“Through this decision, these individuals can stay in their country without joining the army, and it partially solves the problem of financing the army,” he says.
Al-Darzi believes that the exemption fee can help the government manage affairs amid resource shortages until a political solution is reached to bring Syrians together and rebuild their country.