“Shabiha Forever”: The Syrian Regime’s Creation, Control & Use of Militias Since 2011

Join us as Hari Prasad speaks at the Middle East Institute.

In person and virtual registration available at the Middle East Institute Registration Page

The Syrian regime’s well-documented violent suppression of domestic opposition over the past 12 years began with a widespread reliance on loyalist militias when the regular security forces proved insufficient to the task. Syria’s central state played a key role in founding and supporting multiple militia groups beginning in 2011. Yet after bolstering the size and capabilities of these pseudo “non-state” armed groups, the regime reversed course, controlling, merging, and disbanding them in later years. The state’s militia policy has resulted in the growth of symbiotic relationships between the security apparatus and local warlords, producing a complex web of patronage networks tied to illicit economies, international actors, and local politics.

Please join the Middle East Institute (MEI)’s Syria Program for an expert panel to discuss the findings…