File image.
Rami Makhlouf, the cousin of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, claimed on April 27 that he had formed an army with 15 divisions on Syria’s coast in cooperation with Major General Suhayl al-Hasan, the most prominent commander of the former Syrian Arab Army (SAA).
In a post to his Facebook page, Makhlouf described Assad as a “fake Assad [Lion in English]”, writing: “Had it not been for that fake Assad pushing me and my loyal men away, headed by my soul brother, Commander al-Nimr, Syria would not have fallen.”
Al-Hasan, nicknamed al-Nimr [the Tiger in English], commanded the 25th Special Mission Forces Division “Tiger Forces,” the SAA’s most experienced and best armed formation. Throughout the war, he led the division through several successful operations.
The commander was sacked from his post in the division by Assad just months before the Islamist rebel’s final offensive that brought down the regime in December. At the time, the division had been deeply weakened by the Ministry of Defense, with most of its well-experienced soldiers and officers either transferred to other formations in remote areas or discharged.
Five years ealrier, Asma, the British-born wife of Assad, threw Makhlouf under house arrest in Damascus after confiscating his telecommunication company, and every other asset he owned.
Makhlouf, who was once estimated to be worth billions of dollars, claimed that he had supported Syria “militarily, economically, socially, and administratively” throughout the war, preventing the collapse of the SAA and correcting the “mistakes of those boys who drowned the country in injustice, corruption, and burdened the people with suffering, poverty, and drugs,” referring to Assad and his brother Maher.
He went on to accuse Assad of ruling in name only and accused the country’s new Islamist-led interim government of “betrayal.”
“Those who were immersed in the pleasures of worldly life and drowning in its wealth thought themselves rulers, while in reality they were ruled. After liberating the country and relieving the people, they betrayed us, isolated us, detained us, and sought to humiliate us,” he said.
Makhlouf declared that he and al-Hasan had worked “day and night for several weeks” to regroup their forces on the coast.
“We formed fifteen divisions, numbering nearly 150,000 elite men, alongside a reserve force of the same size. We also established popular committees reaching up to one million people ready for action,” he said.
“We are a people who were wronged under the former regime and slaughtered under the new regime. It is our right to defend ourselves against anyone who comes to slaughter us,” he added.
Makhlouf also addressed the Syrian government directly, holding it responsible for a crackdown on the coast last March that claimed the lives of more than 1,600 civilians, most of whom were members of the Alawite religious minority which he, Assad and al-Hasan belong to.
“You have been unable to protect us from slaughter, killing, kidnapping, and enslavement, atrocities that continue to this very hour,” he wrote.
Still, he proposed cooperation “to protect the country, serve the people, and restore security and stability, especially in the Syrian coastal region,” and called for a “new era” based on security, stability, and cooperation.
“Let it be known to everyone that the flag of the Syrian coastal region is red, white, and black, and it is displayed on my page,” he wrote, referring to the former flag of Syria.
Makhlouf also called on Russia to extend its protection over the coast, offering to place “all economic, military, and popular resources under their supervision”.
“We also ask our friends to engage with the Damascus government to find a framework for joint cooperation, leading to stability in the coastal region,” he added.
To this day Russia maintains two large military facilities on the Syrian coast, Khmeimim Air Base and Tartus naval base. Some 10,000 Alawite civilians took shelter at Khmeimim after the last wave of killing. Yet, there has been no friction between Russian forces and government troops and the two sides maintain high levels of communication.
The claims made by Makhlouf are yet to be verified. Al-Hasan has not been seen since the fall of the Assad regime and there are no indications of any forces being formed on the coast, let alone the regrouping of 150,000 fighters.
Still, in recent days, the Syrian government deployed large reinforcements on the coast, which means that may be sensing some movements.
The Syrian government refusal to build any meaningful relation with the Alawites and its ability to end violence targeting the group’s members could eventually lead to an armed uprising on the coast. Leaders from the group have already called for international protection, with some going as far as demanding the right of self-determination.
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‘ass’ad failed miserably, no way he could form an army to win now. too late.
jolani the pig (who doesn’t even shake hands with women) is supported by vicious dictators–feminist baerbock, netayahu (messiah of zionists) and er’dog’an, he is safe.
i don’t know rami makhlouf but it seems he is right: bashar assad is married to westernized asma assad. furthermore she is sunni. bashar should have never become president as he couldn’t fight sunni terrorist rebels neutrally. thus he was restricted in his actions by his sunni wife asma.
there’s no way he actually has 150,000 men.