The Armed Syrian Opposition: Common Aim but No Vision

In response to the dearth of academic studies written on the Syrian opposition, this study reviews the various Syrian military organizations that are currently active against the Syrian regime, and discusses the circumstances that led to their formation, their intellectual and political character, their links, and the parties that finance them. This analysis argues that these organizations may be divided into two main movements: one with a secular outlook and the other with Islamist leanings. The author maintains that these different military groups emerged spontaneously, and that their birth was a reaction to the violence of the regime rather than an intentional political act. Moreover, the lack of clarity and vision among the majority of these groups is further aggravated by the fact that these military formations and their command structures were largely created by individuals with low levels of education.