Syria under Bashar Assad may turn into a big Wagner, providing mercenaries whenever Russia needs in its conflicts, as seen in the case of Syrian fighters from regime-held areas being sent to Ukraine, a member of the Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (SMDK) and general coordinator of the Turkey-Syria Joint Commission, Ahmad Baccora said.
Speaking to Daily Sabah, Baccora said that Syrians under the regime could fulfill their obligatory military duty fighting alongside Russia. Moscow has promised them a salary of $1,500 to fight in Ukraine, plus rewards and compensation if they are injured. According to reports, fighters of the YPG/PKK are also sent to the conflct.
The Kremlin said recently that volunteers, including those from Syria, were welcome to fight alongside Russia's military in Ukraine. Last week, a war monitor said Russia had drawn up lists of 40,000 fighters from Assad's Syrian army and allied militia ranks on standby for deployment in Ukraine.
Moscow's recourse to Syrian mercenaries comes from Russia's intervention in 2015 in the war-torn country on behalf of the regime, helping Assad clock in decisive victories in the decadelong conflict. Russia's air force notably helped regime forces during their siege of opposition-held Aleppo. Assad is among the few heads of state to openly support Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
Syrian fighters have been deployed in foreign battles before – Russia recruited them to fight alongside putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar in Libya who attacked the U.N.-recognized government in Tripoli. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy slammed Russia's decision to recruit Syrians, saying Russia was hiring "murderers."
"Europe’s support for Syria has been insufficient," Baccora said, adding that the European Union has also deceived Ukraine by giving false hopes of concrete support. He also talked about the West's hypocrisy regarding the issue of migration. While Middle Eastern refugees have seen pushback and violence at borders, Ukrainian refugees were welcomed with open arms due to their European identity. "Their human rights are only valid to their own people," Baccora said, stating that his wife and many family members also have blue eyes but Syrians faced harsh discrimination after the war erupted.
On the other hand, he also highlighted that "Ukraine could be a new opportunity for Syria, as Russia’s attention is focused on the war ongoing in eastern Europe, significantly decreasing attacks on opposition-held areas in Syria."
Fighting has largely stopped, Baccora said. "Russia’s presence in Ukraine could lead to a vacuum. Moscow directing its focus and means on Kyiv might weaken the Assad regime," he explained.
Furthermore, the Russian pressure to bring the PKK and the Syrian regime together has also lessened. In an unusual incident, he stated that a PKK headquarters in the country’s northeast, hanged the flag of the Syrian opposition’s independence flag for the first time in an Arab majority district, signaling a shift in allegiances.
"The army of the regime has lost its strength," he said, indicating that no experienced fighters are left while the regime depends on young recruits and foreign powers to advance its goals. Children are often abducted and only released in return for money, which many families are not able to afford as the regime turns a blind eye to such incidents.
Speaking on the deteriorating living conditions, especially in Damascus and regime-held areas, he said human trafficking and drug smuggling by regime-linked groups and Iran-aligned militia are common.
Describing Syria as a "collapsed state" as the regime also suffers from a deteriorating war economy, he said that the regime and members of the Assad family also abuse aid coming from the United Nations and other aid agencies, using the aid for their own gains instead of directing it to the needy.
Syria's economy has been battered by a decade of conflict and grueling sanctions.
The war in Syria left half a million people dead, mostly in attacks by the regime and its allies, including both Russian and Iranian forces, as well as a myriad of militia groups.
Around 4 million people, at least half of them displaced, now live in the northwestern Syria region, the last enclave fighting Assad's rule despite years of deadly Russian-backed offensives.
"Syrians are unable to even obtain their basic needs. The economy is as bad as the living conditions. Health services are almost nonexistent while frequent electricity cuts are experienced on a daily basis," Baccora elaborated.
‘No hope for solution’
Meanwhile, a new round of talks involving the constitutional committee seeking a solution to the ongoing 11-year war in the country will resume in Geneva for five days from Monday, according to the U.N.
However, Baccora said: "We have no hope from this round of negotiations. The Assad regime continues its irreconcilable stance and will again cause problems."
Speaking on the seventh round of the drafting body of the constitutional committee, he said that the sides are trying to agree on the fight against terrorism, elections and a constitution, but the regime hinders the process.
He also reiterated that the Syrian opposition criticized the U.N. for advocating a "step for step" approach to resolving the grinding conflict, as it would further embolden an intransigent regime.
Talks were last held in Geneva in October when U.N. special envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen said that the Syrian government’s refusal to negotiate on revisions to its constitution was a key reason for their failure. The talks in October followed a nine-month hiatus in the U.N.-led meetings of the Syrian constitutional committee.
A 2012 U.N. road map to peace in Syria approved by representatives of the U.N., Arab League, the EU, Turkey and all five permanent U.N. Security Council members call for drafting a new constitution. It ends with U.N.-supervised elections with all Syrians, including diaspora members, eligible to participate. A Security Council resolution adopted in December 2015 unanimously endorsed the road map.
At a Russia-hosted Syrian peace conference in January 2018, an agreement was reached to form a 150-member committee to draft a new constitution. A smaller 45-member body would do the actual drafting, including 15 members from the government, opposition and civil society. However, it took until September 2019 for the committee to be formed.
Arab states
Baccora speaking on the recent steps Turkey has taken to normalize its relations with several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Saudi Arabia, said that such a rapprochement could also be beneficial for the opposition and Syria.
"Turkey-Arab countries normalization could benefit the Syrian opposition. They oppose us because we are close to Turkey," he said.
However, Baccora also criticized the Arab states’ recent attempts to legitimize Assad and include the country once again into the Arab League and reintroduce him into the international community.
Syria was expelled from the 22-member Arab League and boycotted by its neighbors after the conflict broke out 11 years ago. With the war having fallen into a stalemate and Assad recovering control over most of the country thanks to military assistance from allies Russia and Iran, Arab countries have inched closer toward restoring ties with the Syrian dictator in recent years.
He also slammed the Arab League statement issued last week. On March 9, the foreign ministers of Arab League member countries convened in Egypt's capital Cairo and passed a resolution condemning Turkey for allegedly interfering in the internal affairs of Arab countries and calling on Ankara to stop interfering in Syria.
"They criticize Turkey but dare not speak against Iran or Russia," Baccora said./DS
