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SANA via EPA
A Syrian government soldier aims his machine gun during an operation in Aleppo on March 6. Rumors that Bashar Assad's government will instate a military draft have caused panic in the war-ravaged country. Editor's note: Image supplied by Syrian state news agency SANA.
DAMASCUS, Syria -- When a government-linked Islamic body in Syria said this week it was a "sacred duty" to join the army and fight the revolt, Damascus was ablaze with rumors of a mass military draft.
Men of military age panicked, worrying they would be given a gun and told to fight never-ending street battles with rebel fighters before being returned to their families in a wooden box, like thousands of soldiers over the past two years.
President Bashar Assad's forces are stretched thin across the country as the opposition takes further ground, overrunning military bases and executing prisoners. Fleeing reservists say morale is low among troops, who are virtually imprisoned in their barracks by officers who fear they'll defect or flee.
Mohammed, a 30-year-old who supports Assad, said he would rather flee the country than fight the rebels.
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A look back at the conflict that has overtaken the country.
"So what exactly would I be doing if I got drafted? Killing rebels? They'll kill me back," he said, asking to withhold his second name for fear of retribution.
"I'd be dead no matter what, like a lamb to the slaughter," said Mohammed, who completed his two-year mandatory military service years ago. "Yeah, sure I support the regime, but this isn't my fight."
The official news agency SANA denied the authorities were planning to organize a draft.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London said on Thursday the Syrian army's strength has roughly halved to around 110,000 men because of defections, desertions and battlefield losses.
Friday is the two-year anniversary of the uprising, and Damascus residents are bracing for a big rebel push. Some parents decided to keep their children at home on Thursday. Earlier in the week there was an exodus of families leaving the city.
'Rewarded by God'
The draft rumor spread this week after Syria's highest official Sunni Muslim body issued a religious decree on Sunday calling on Syrians to join the military, which it called both "a national and a sacred duty."
Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, a staunch supporter of Assad who lost his son in a rebel ambush in October 2011, called on parents to push their children "toward this duty, and do not worry, for they will not be killed, only rewarded by God."
Damascenes have been exchanging tales of young men snatched at checkpoints from the streets and taken into military service.
Syria requires mandatory military service of up to two years for men aged 18. But there are many exemptions, including a temporary delay if the man is enrolled in college, and a permanent exemption if he is the only son in the family.
Some families hide their military-aged sons at home, while some of the well-to-do have sent their sons abroad. There is talk of male college seniors purposely failing courses to remain enrolled and exempt from military service.
Some anti-Assad Damascenes said a draft would push them to join the rebels.
"Bring it on. If Assad wants to entrust me with a gun, I'll kill his troops on my first day," said one man in his forties.
"I can't tell you how many men there are, much younger than I, who are just waiting for the slightest excuse to pick up arms and join the rebels. Assad can't be so stupid as to arm men who want to see him dead."
Reuters
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Tyranny is not free, go sign your death draft cards............
"So what exactly would I be doing if I got drafted? Killing rebels? They'll kill me back," he said, asking to withhold his second name for fear of retribution. Not if they are dead.
"I'd be dead no matter what, like a lamb to the slaughter," said Mohammed, who completed his two-year mandatory military service years ago. "Yeah, sure I support the regime, but this isn't my fight." So your not a Syrian - then no worries - right?
Yeah that didn't make any sense to me either, you live in Damascus and support Assad but its not your fight? I hope he likes life under whatever rules the rebels impose when they take over, if your not willing to fight for what you believe in then you can't very well complain.
any thinking Syrian knows that Assid's days are numbered
The sooner the Syrian government falls, the sooner they will be replaced with some radical, hell bent for Allah regime...that despises our existence. Way to go, dumbasses.
John although you may be right calling those of us who disagree with you names reduces you validity
Yeah boy, them's is hell bent on headed down the firey path to hell I said!!! Whoo Doggie, all your'ins is a a batchbuasle of @ssed folks, yeah boy I said.
You never had any validity or credibility to start with Jethro........
"When a government-linked Islamic body in Syria said this week it was a "sacred duty" to join the army and fight the revolt, Damascus was ablaze with rumors of a mass military draft."
Assad should go for draft and eliminate all intolerant Sunni Syrian rebels starting from al Qaida, Salaffi, MB and other label Sunni Islamic killers.
What are the cowards of Hezbollah and Shiites of Iran and Iraq doing?
If Assad is overthrown it will be killings of Kurds, Shiites, females, Christians and others!
jon., #4,
You bring up a good point that Assad could use. Form special units of Kurds, Shiites, Christians and others promising special internal homelands after the civil war ends. Those units would be fighting for their families not Assad, but he'd get the benefit. Afterwards, well, how completely he keeps is word, who knows. But Caesar had his Praetorian guards that were not Romans and owed all to their emperor. Assad might survive by using a history book.
I think the last person in the Article is Correct....If Assad want to arme men that want him Dead..It would be Assad's army that falls because of a Draft..Not the rebels...You see the LEADER has made so many enemies within his own Nation..he cannot give anyone not already in Military service a weapon...Because they will open fire on Assad's troops not the Rebels...and SO Goes Syria's HOLY WAR...
Oh lordy.... The syrian soldier is "aiming" his ASSAULT RIFLE. That's not a machine gun! Will you idiots ever get your facts strait?
Another proxy war between the great powers, it is either the end of one proxy war or it is the begging of the next, no room for peace is not worth mentioning?
Curious if we had to make only one single conclusion as to the cause of all the wars since 1898?
We would see that the proxy wars were manufactured to secure energy supplies for the industrial world?
We could see that with one single cause that the end of one war was just the beginning of the next war?
But curious we don't see this at all, Americans write the history for themselves placing effects before causes, putting time lines and relationship out order, neglecting finance, material flows, and mistaking technology, staying to only one side of the story.
Save yourselves the effort; think only that Americans won all the wars. Think that those battle fields have names only, and that those countries near and far from these wars have vanished. Not one country suffered the consequences of the inevitable American Victory nor the consequences of the power vacuum felt in the withdrawal of the American Victors.
And best of all these wars and did cost a thing as I borrow a phrase "… most important of all, the doing of them will not cost anybody anything."
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Just one more curious thing, we have all heard or could look up the standard sophomore argument (designed to keep civic and debate teachers employed) or how it was that the nuclear bomb ended WWII and if or not it could have been used. But again facts, time and circumstance keep showing up at the worst possible times to make a new story, or to make possible a point, that would be completely blocked by emotions and unacceptable by the just and patriot victors. This means nothing more that history changes even if the fact and figure change from being obscure to become known.
The energy yielded from the first three bombs (the weight, e=mc^2 energy, of three aspirin tablets) was less that all the energy needed to produce them. The time line is a valuable insight for WWII, as is the expense. It seems that the expense of the Manhattan Project, was nearly one half of the total out lay for treasury, war bond as you may see referenced in history, a big number. As it turned out VE day (Victory in Europe) was complete May '45, if the Japanese Emperor Hirohito, had surrender in dramatic fashion in June '45, (and for the blood thirsty mob, delivering his liver and his head on silver platter). If this unconditional surrender had been tendered June '45, would President Truman, have excerpted it, if accepting it how would he have explained the cost to the US Senate and House Congress and the possibility of a delay in the WWII effort to the public?
This is just one example of how idea of a proxy war satisfies the need for a single cause of a century of wars.
But don't think about this, it we won't know is happened again, in say Iran … Save yourselves the effort; think only that Americans won all the wars. Think that those battle fields have names only, and that those countries near and far from these wars have vanished. Not one country suffered the consequences of the inevitable American Victory nor the consequences of the power vacuum felt in the withdrawal of the American Victors.
When tyranny is at war with tyranny, only tyranny can win. In the end the lambs will be silent.
1. If Syrian men care more about their own well being than their freedom, then just let them run away to Lebanon.
2. The picture of the soldier 'aiming his machine gun' clearly shows an assault rifle, (an AK-47) not a machine gun. Get your terminology straight before Madelyn Albright decides AR-15's are now 'machine guns'.
Get drafted, get weapons, then defect to the rebels.....
If you are Syrian & want to live a peaceful & productive life where your children can grow up to live well I advise you to leave. Any nation where Islam is not the common religion would give a better chance than this. If you stay in this region be prepared to sacrifice your happiness, your prosperity, & any hope your children's lives will be any better. To stay is acceptance of living in a constant state of war, intolerance, & death.
New soldiers during a civil war, good luck with that.
The Assad Regime, per the article, is at half strength soldier wise. It is unlikely and unrealistic that a draft will only bring in loyalist. It seems more likely that half their draftees will be switching sides after weapons issue.