In an interview released recently, Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa indicated that following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad and the dismantling of his military, “thousands” of individuals are voluntarily joining Syria’s newly established armed forces. Speaking on “The Rest is Politics” podcast, hosted by Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart, Sharaa emphasized that he chose to implement a voluntary enlistment policy rather than mandatory conscription.
Since the regime’s collapse in December, Syria has moved to dissolve the former military and security apparatus, creating facilities to assist personnel who served under the previous government in transitioning to new roles. Experts remarked that during the initial years of the Syrian civil war, a combination of casualties, defections, and avoidance of military service saw the once 300,000-strong military diminish significantly. The military had been supported by allies such as Russia and Iran, as well as Iranian-backed militants like Hezbollah. However, as that support weakened, the military crumbled in response to advances from rebel forces, particularly those led by Sharaa’s Islamist faction, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
Sharaa, recently appointed as interim president, noted that many young men had previously fled Syria to escape conscription, while also acknowledging that several former officers who defected are gradually reintegrating into the newly formed ministry of defense. The current authorities in Syria have announced plans to incorporate various armed groups into the national army amid ongoing security concerns.
Conflict continues in the region, with pro-Turkish fighters engaged in combat with the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is positioned as the de facto military for a semi-autonomous Kurdish governance in northeastern Syria. Sharaa has been vocal about the necessity for countries to lift sanctions imposed on Syria, arguing that these measures were directed at the prior regime, which is now dismantled. “Now that we have dismantled the regime and its prisons, these sanctions should be lifted, as there is no justification for them after the fall of the regime,” he remarked.
The Syrian conflict, ignited in 2011 following Assad’s severe crackdown on anti-government protests, has led to over 500,000 deaths and has displaced millions. During the interview, Sharaa expressed the urgent need for economic development as a solution to the major security challenges facing the nation. “Without economic growth, there can be no stability, and without stability, we risk creating an environment that fosters chaos and insecurity,” he asserted, highlighting the government’s current focus on stabilizing the country through economic revitalization.
