SYRIA thread

[AE Bravo]

Apparently, by now the Syrian Army is an Alawite-populated husk of commissioned officers and heavy weapons units that leaves most of the ground fighting to sectarian militias, i.e. more of a brand than a professional institution. Could explain why they've performed much better on the offense than defense.

I don't think this crop will ever prove up to storming the Golan Heights. Maybe the air force has improved?

Man I had to dig this up because it stuck with me. It's very interesting you put it that way but I'm skeptical, it seems hyperbolic. I've read the publication you linked but it doesn't exactly allude to this claim. I imagine every country in the middle east would take this initiative when faced with a conscription crisis.

Not sure if the example was a figure of speech, but paramilitaries are effectively part of the regime in Syria. These institutional shortcomings are common across many states in the middle east. How do we know that they are sectarian? They seem to be no more so than the regime, people of Damascus, and "Assadist" diaspora are.

Not to mention the (incorrect) implication that the actual army is inactive/not fighting.