Pro-Government Militias
Arab Nationalist Guard (Syria)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 524 |
| Country: | Syria |
| Date formed: | April 1, 2013 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | The group was formed by Abu A’ed, a Lebanese citizen, together with a group of Arab Nationalist Youth from various Arab countries. They felt that Western interference in Syria was threatening the ideology of pan-Arabism. News sources diverge on whether the group was founded in April or May 2013. |
| Date dissolved: | Unknown |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | |
| 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 information |
| 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: | none |
| Government Link(s): | military (institution) |
| 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: | military |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ethnic; ideology; ex soldiers; foreign nationals |
| Primary Membership: | nationalist |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | ideological |
| Location: | Damascus, Deraa, Homs and Aleppo governorates |
| Force Strength: | [1000, unknown] |
| Target(s): | rebels, insurgents, or other armed group |
| Purpose(s): | protect state, national or religious institutions; fight insurgents |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | Arabs (Syria) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | given |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | The group is inspired by pan-Arab ideology, emphasizing the necessity of liberating and uniting all Arabs into a single political entity. Members of the ANG include former and current members of the ANYC, a youth camp of Arabs from various pan-Arab parties and movements across the region. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The main purpose of the ANG is to help defend Syria against what it perceives as a colonialist project by outside powers and to preserve Syria’s unity. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | unknown |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | Recruits come from nationalist and pan-Arab movements and are likely to be motivated by Arab nationalism. |
| PGM Members Killed? | sometimes |
PGM Size
| Size: | The number of fighters of the ANG grew significantly following the threat of US strikes on Syria in September 2013. As of May 2014, the ANG had over 1,000 guards. Additionally, there is an unknown number of volunteers whose size depends on constant fluctuations depending on the location and the sensitivity of the fighting. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | The ANG receives training from the Syrian army. This includes drills and fire-arm training in ANG or Syrian military camps in Damascus. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The ANG closely cooperates with the Syrian army and the National Defense Forces. The ANG is fully-funded by the Syrian army. Former chief officers in their 50s from Iraqi and Egyptian military and Palestinian groups are training and cooperating with the Syrian army regarding military tactics. Younger recruits are actively involved in fighting. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.