Pro-Government Militias
Al-Saiqa (Syria)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 525 |
| Country: | Syria |
| Date formed: | Jan. 1, 1966 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | Al-Saiqa was founded in 1966 by Syrian members of the Baath party. |
| 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 |
| 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?: | yes | Main Creating Government Institution: | governing party |
| Government Link(s): | person/minister; political party |
| If link to party, name of party: | Ba'ath Party |
| Training and Equipment: | no information |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | no information |
| Shared Personnel: | no |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | no information |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ethnic; ideology |
| Primary Membership: | no information |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Damascus |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, unknown] |
| Target(s): | unarmed political opposition, government critics; rebels, insurgents, or other armed group |
| Purpose(s): | destabilise neighbouring countries; intimidate political opposition; fight insurgents |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | Al-Saiqa is a Syrian Palestinian group that backed the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). It was used by the Syrian regime to further its interests among the Palestinian population in Syria and abroad. When the Syrian civil war began, Al-Saiqa became active backing Assad’s regime in Syria. Before that, evidence suggests that it had mainly operated abroad. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | Upon foundation, the main purpose of the group was to fight for Palestine, against Israel. Since the Syrian Civil War, the group’s main purpose shifted to fighting for the regime against anti-regime powers, including pro democracy protestors and rebel groups in Palestinian refugee camps. |
| 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: | |
| PGM Members Killed? | rarely |
PGM Size
| Size: |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | Al-Saiqa had training barracks in Damascus, which were destroyed in 2012. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | Al-Saiqa is under the direct control of the regime. It answers directly to the Baath party. The Syrian government backs and sponsors it. In 1976, its leader was Zuheir Mohsen. Later, its commander was Abu Rashid, who was killed in June 2014. The group proved to be very loyal to Syria, even against fellow Palestinians. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.