Arab Nationalist Guard

The Arab Nationalist Guard (Arabic: الحرس القومي العربي) is a secular volunteer militia force operating in Syria. The group espouses an Arab nationalist ideology, gathering away from any sectarian, ethnic, or religious extremism. The Arab Nationalist Guard's membership includes nationalists from a variety of Arab countries.

Arab Nationalist Guard
الحرس القومي العربي
Dates of operationApril 2013–present
HeadquartersSidon, Lebanon[1]
Active regionsWestern Syria
IdeologyArab nationalism
Pan-Arabism
Anti-Zionism
Nasserism
Anti-imperialism
Secularism
Size1,000 (May 2014)[2]
AlliesSyria Syrian Armed Forces
National Defense Forces
 Hezbollah
Ba'ath Brigades
OpponentsSyria Free Syrian Army
Al-Nusra Front
Battles and warsSyrian Civil War

History

Formed in April 2013 by pan-Arab volunteers to fight against "all Takfiri movements that aim to strike our unity and sow divisions between Arabs",[1] the Arab Nationalist Guard bolstered the ranks of Bashar al-Assad's government amid the 2012–13 escalation of the Syrian Civil War. The group quickly started to closely cooperate with the Syrian National Defence Forces militia network. From late 2013 to early 2014, the Arab Nationalist Guard primarily fought in the Rif Dimashq Governorate, though was also present at other conflict zones in Aleppo Governorate, Deraa Governorate, and Homs Governorate. It was prominently involved in government offensives in Qalamoun at the time.[1][5]

By 2017, the unit had taken up positions in Deraa city.[6] It later fought in the Siege of Eastern Ghouta.[7][8] In 2020, the Israeli Shin Bet security service arrested members of a purported Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine cell which had planned resistance attacks against Israeli targets and reportedly cooperated with the Arab Nationalist Guard and its civilian wing, the Arab Nationalist Youth.[9] It was still operating in Damascus by early 2021.[10]

Ideology

The group's ideology falls in line with Gamal Abdel Nasser's pan-Arab ideals (Nasserism),[1] as well as with anti-Zionism and anti-imperialism. It claims to oppose "sectarian, ethnic, or religious extremism", and also supports an independent State of Palestine.[5] In its imagery and textual output, the militia has emphasized Nasser, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, Hezbollah, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and Bashar al-Assad as praiseworthy examples.[5]

Organization

In its manifesto, the Arab Nationalist Guard stated that it included at least four units, namely the Wadie Haddad battalion, Haydar al-Amali battalion, Mohamed Brahmi battalion, and Jules Jammal battalion.[1][5] The units' names are inspired by Arab politicians and martyrs who have led secularist and Arab national movements in the Middle East and North Africa region or were killed by Islamists.[5][2] It has set up a camp in al-Malihah.[10]

The militia is linked to the "Arab Nationalist Youth".[5][9] The latter is active in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, as well as Egypt, and has provided recruits from the Arab Nationalist Guard.[5] The militia has recruited fighters from Syria, Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Tunisia, and Yemen.[2][5] It has also recruited Syrian Palestinians.[11] Some of their militiamen had fought previously in the Libyan Civil War and the Iraq War.[2] Despite the militia's Arab nationalist ideology, one member stated that it also includes non-Arab fighters such as Kurds and Berbers, regarding all of them as part of the Ummah.[5]

The Arab Nationalist Guard is supported by Hezbollah trainers, and has good connections with the wing of Hamas that does not support the Muslim Brotherhood.[10]

See also

References
  1. Cooper (2015), p. 59.
  2. Rana Harbi (5 May 2014). "Arab nationalists take up arms in the battle for Syria". Al-Akhbar. Archived from the original on 21 December 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  3. "Daryya Rebels Thwarted another Attempt to Storm the City". El-Dorar Al-Shamia. 26 July 2016. Archived from the original on 27 July 2016.
  4. Andrew Illingworth (8 January 2018). "Syrian Army's order of battle for Harasta operation in east Damascus revealed". al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  5. Jawad Al-Tamimi (1 January 2014). "The Arab National Guard: A Pro-Assad Militia". Aymennjawad.org. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
  6. "Weekly Conflict Summary. July 13-19, 2017" (PDF). Carter Center. July 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  7. "Two Palestinian refugee die in the ongoing war in Syria". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 20 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  8. Leith Aboufadel (9 March 2018). "Virtual map of East Ghouta battle: September 2015–Present". al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 13 May 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
  9. Anna Ahronheim (21 July 2020). "Shin Bet thwarts attacks by Iranian-backed PFLP cell in the West Bank". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  10. Anton Mardasov (15 January 2021). "Moscow stands to gain from Hamas-Damascus reconciliation". al-Monitor. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  11. "Palestinian man dies while fighting in the suburbs of Damascus". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 14 January 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.

Works cited
  • Cooper, Tom (2015). Syrian Conflagration. The Civil War 2011–2013. Solihull: Helion & Company Limited. ISBN 978-1-910294-10-9.
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