2024-02-29 16:53:14

The “Coalition” dismisses the commander of the “Free Syria Army”: local disputes or military preparations?

Both the Free Syrian Army and the International Coalition Forces to Combat ISIS confirmed the appointment of a new commander for the Army, a few days after its sacked commander. Colonel Muhammad Farid Al-Qasim, for an assassination attempt inside the “Rukban Camp”, located near the “Al-Tanf” military base in the Syrian desert.

The official “Army” accounts on social media said on Thursday that there had been a change in leadership, with the appointment of Lieutenant Colonel Salem Turki Al-Antari as commander of the Free Syrian Army, noting that the step “comes as a continuation of the mission of securing and stabilizing the (55) area and defeating ( ISIS).

from her side; The coalition leadership welcomed this step, and said in a statement that it was excited to work with the new commander, after “16 months of Colonel Farid Al-Qassim’s dedicated service with the army, the local community, and the (55) region.”

Colonel Muhannad Ahmed Al-Talaa (X Account)

It is noteworthy that the leadership council of the Free Syrian Army is responsible for making such a decision officially, but in practical terms; The “coalition” forces are the ones doing this.

But neither side addressed the reasons for this sudden change, which took place in a manner similar to the decision to appoint Colonel Al-Qassim, in October 2022, when the “coalition” leadership suddenly dismissed its former commander, Lieutenant Colonel Muhannad Al-Talaa, without mentioning the reasons.

Military training for the Free Syrian Army… (X Account)

Observers of Syrian affairs linked this decision to the assassination attempt that Al-Qasim was subjected to last Sunday, and it is likely that it was caused by private disputes with members of the residents of the “Rukban Camp.”

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had reported that one of Al-Qassem’s close associates attempted to assassinate him by shooting him, following a dispute that broke out between them, and that the accused worked in smuggling food supplies to the camp from regime-controlled areas, and also cooperated greatly with Al-Qassem in transporting and selling them. Weapons outside the camp.

Since his appointment to his position, Colonel Al-Qasim has sparked controversy, when some of Al-Rukban’s notables accused him of involvement in smuggling. They also issued three statements in which they called on the “coalition forces” to replace him, due to his “responsibility for violations and threats” against some activists and residents, which he denied. Al-Qasim.

Residents of “Al-Rukban Camp” (X Account)

On February 17, local accounts published a letter attributed to the “Tribal Council in the city of Palmyra,” accusing Al-Qassem of committing crimes and abuses, including “arbitrary detention and the killing of a civilian.” The letter also hinted at his participation in drug smuggling operations.

Jordanian resentment

While some confirm these accusations, and say that they represent, in addition to tribal rivalry and sensitivities, the main reason for the removal of Colonel Al-Qasim from his position, others say that the “coalition” forces have their own calculations in making this decision.

The Syrian military analyst, Colonel Khaled Al-Mutlaq, believes that this change was forced by the “Coalition Forces”, after the increase in irregularities and violations for which the residents of the “Rukban Camp” accuse Colonel Farid Al-Qasim of being responsible, revealing Jordanian demands for his dismissal as well.

He adds: “In addition to the discontent of the people in the camp, there is information that the Jordanian authorities informed the American officials at the Al-Tanf base of their dissatisfaction with the performance of the leadership of the Free Syrian Army, due to suspicion of the involvement of some of its officials. “Including Al-Qasim himself, in smuggling drugs into its territory, which means the continuation of the same problems that led to the dismissal of the former leader.”

American soldiers with fighters from the Free Syrian Army near the Al-Tanf base in January 2023 (archive)

Al-Mutlaq considered that the “55th parallel” area, in which the “International Coalition” and the army are deployed, is a “militarily and strategically sensitive area,” especially since it is located at the junction of the Syrian-Jordanian-Iraqi borders in the desert, stressing the importance of returning the leadership of these “forces.” » Consider its dealings with the local formations it cooperates with in the region, and take into account “tribal balances and the required military expertise,” if it is serious about benefiting from these formations in confronting common enemies.

However, a source in the “Army” ruled out that the “Coalition Forces” decision to change its commander had anything to do with local problems and the accusations directed at Colonel Farid Al-Qasim. He also denied that the choice of the new commander was based on tribal or factional balances.

Source; Who requested to remain anonymous, stressed that the decision to change was a surprise to everyone, as happened when Colonel Al-Qassim was appointed to his position, “which suggests that (the coalition) has a new strategy that it is working on,” pointing out that his replacement was not holding any official mission during the period. The past months.

Who is the new leader?

In this context, the source revealed special information about the new commander, Lieutenant Colonel Salem Turki Al-Antari, noting that he had previously been suspended from his job a few months after Al-Qassim assumed his position.

Before that, Al-Antri, who is from the “Al-Amour” clan and hails from the city of Palmyra, held a leadership position in the “Aswad Al-Sharqiya” faction, which he joined after arriving in the region in 2015, coming from the Eastern Ghouta of Damascus, where he remained for 3 years, since his defection from the group. Regime army in 2012.

Lieutenant Colonel Salem Turki Al-Antari, the new commander of the Free Syrian Army (X Account)

In 2018, his faction joined what was known as the “Revolution Commando Army,” which was formed from the merger of a number of local factions operating in the area of ​​influence of the international coalition forces to combat ISIS in the Syrian desert. The most prominent of which are the “Forces of the Martyr Ahmed Al-Abdo,” the “Army of the Tribes,” in addition to the “Army of the Lions of the East.”

Although the name of the “Army” was changed the day after Farid Al-Qasim was appointed its commander, with expectations that the motives for these changes would be preparation for confrontations with the militias affiliated with the Iranian “Revolutionary Guard” in the Syrian desert, as well as those active in drug smuggling to Jordan, no specific tasks were assigned. To the “Free Syrian Army” since then; Which makes many people lower their expectations regarding the new change.

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