Pro-Government Militias
Popular Committees (al-Lijan al-Sha'biyah) (Syria)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 521 |
| Country: | Syria |
| Date formed: | Jan. 1, 2012 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | In 2012 popular committees emerged as self-defense groups in pro-government neighborhoods. |
| Date dissolved: | Unknown |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | At least parts of the popular committees seem to have merged into the “National Defence Force” since end of 2012. However, media reports continue to refer to popular committees until late 2014. In July 2013 and March 2014 news sources reported clashes between the Popular Committees and the regular army. A news source from December 2014 suggests that they remained a PGM. |
| Termination Type(s): | not terminated |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | no |
| Former Armed Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | no | Main Creating Government Institution: | no information |
| Government Link(s): | person/minister |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | no |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | plunder and loot; military; foreign support |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): | Support from Lebanese Hezbollah. |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ethnic; religious; adolescents; children; ex soldiers; party activists |
| Primary Membership: | local |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Damascus, Homs |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, unknown] |
| Target(s): | rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; ethnic group; religious group |
| Purpose(s): | protect property and investment; self-defense and security; intimidate political opposition; fight insurgents |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | Sunni Arabs (Syria) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | given |
| Ethnic Membership: | Alawi (Syria); Christians (Syria) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | given |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | In Qamishli, members of the Taie tribe have been organized into pro-Assad Popular Committees and are not included as a separate organization. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The Popular Committees’ main purpose since its foundation has been to protect their respective local neighborhoods from rebels. Over time, they increasingly assisted regular security forces to control the situation and fight the insurgents. They have become a significant source of reinforcement for the pro-regime forces. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | faster mobilization |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | Popular Committees have carried out extrajudicial executions of civilians, including mass killings. They deliberately destroyed and looted the property of suspected opposition members and supporters. The Popular Committees are, alongside other local militias, in charge of the secret detention centres which are affiliated with the Syrian government. Detainees in these centres are subject to severe torture. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing; torture |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | yes |
| PGM Members Paid? | yes |
| Reasons for Membership: | Most members participate in the Popular Committees to guard their own neighborhoods against insurgents. One news source mentions members of the Ba’th Party participating in these committees; these members are probably motivated by ideological or political motives. The Popular Committees recruited adolescents and children (Human Rights Watch). |
| PGM Members Killed? | rarely |
PGM Size
| Size: |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | Members are armed with rifles and handguns. They receive weapons from the Syrian government. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | In Qamishli, the Popular Committees are under the command of a Syrian MP and Ta’ie Shaykh Muhammad Fares. Another news source mentions that the leader of the Popular Committees was Husayn Shu’ayb. However, he was arrested in July 2013 by Syrian security forces. The PGM receives support by external sponsors in neighboring countries. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.