Saudi involvement in the Syrian civil war
Saudi Arabia's involvement in the Syrian Civil War involved the large-scale supply of
Since the summer of 2013, Saudi Arabia has emerged as the main group to finance and arm the rebels.[1] Saudi Arabia has financed a large purchase of infantry weapons from Croatia via shipments shuttled through Jordan.The weapons began reaching rebels in December 2012 which allowed rebels' small tactical gains against the Syrian army.[2]
Saudi Arabia has backed Islamist rebel groups including the Army of Conquest.
In August 2017, the Syrian opposition was informed by the Saudi foreign minister that the Kingdom was disengaging from them.[3] Subsequently, Saudi Arabia has taken a more conciliatory stance towards the Syrian government.[4]
Croatian weapons
In December 2012, a new wave of weapons from foreign supporters were transferred to rebel forces via the Jordanian border in the country's south. The arms included M79 Osa anti-tank weapons and Yugoslav-made M-60 recoilless rifles purchased by Saudi Arabia from Croatia. Previously, most of the weapons were delivered via the Turkish border in the north. The goal for the change in routes was to strengthen moderate rebels and to support their push towards Damascus.[5][6][2] This shipment was also said to be to counter shipments of weapons from Iran to aid the Syrian government.[2]
Timber Sycamore
Saudi Arabia was involved in the
Bandar bin Sultan
In August 2013 the
According to an opinion piece by journalist Patrick Cockburn, former head of MI6, Richard Dearlove revealed he was told Bandar's intentions, claiming the Prince had told him "The time is not far off in the Middle East, Richard, when it will be literally 'God help the Shia'. More than a billion Sunnis have simply had enough of them." Dearlove has expressed his view that "Saudi Arabia is involved in the ISIS-led Sunni rebellion".[10]
Support for rebel factions
Jaysh al-Islam
Jaysh al-Islam is an Islamist rebel alliance based in the eastern suburbs of Damascus, led by Zahran Alloush, the son of Saudi-based religious scholar Abdullah Mohammed Alloush. Its creation was said to have been negotiated and spearheaded by Saudi Arabia, who believed that al-Nusra Front was gaining too much strength.[11] After the alliance was formed in September 2013, The Guardian reported that Saudi Arabia was preparing to give the group millions of dollars to "arm and train" its fighters,[12] and use instructors from Pakistan to help train the group.[13]
Free Syrian Army
The
Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement
The
In January 2014, Nour al-Din al-Zenki was one of the founding factions in the anti-
On 9 May 2016, a plan was reportedly proposed by the US, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar to have the Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement form a "Northern Army".[23] However, the plan was delayed due to doubts from U.S. officials about the capabilities of the Syrian rebel forces that Turkey had recruited to fight with its military, the opposition from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, and the rift between Turkey and Russia that had only been mended in early August 2016.[24]
Army of Conquest
In 2015, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar received criticism from Western media for backing rebels associated with the
November 2015 escalation
Following the
Silk Airlines weapons transfers
In July 2017, an investigation by
Syrian Democratic Forces
As of early 2018 after the election of US President Donald Trump and other opposition groups losing ground, Saudi Arabia began talks with Arab factions in the Syrian Democratic Forces. The Kingdom also coordinated with the United States in its support for SDF after US President Trump suggested an end to American military presence in Syria, to be replaced with an Arab force made up of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. However Egypt rejected the idea,[30] since reaching out to Arab affiliated SDF groups Saudi Arabia has set up recruitment centers offering new recruits the equivalent of $200, Saudi Arabia has also set up two communications checkpoints in Qamshili and Hasakah.[31][32]
Groups known to have receive Saudi support
- 13th Division (Syrian rebel group)
- Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement
- Authenticity and Development Front
- Jaysh al-Islam
- Conquest Brigade
- Southern Front
- Syrian Revolutionaries Front
- Syrian Martyrs' Brigades
- Revolutionary Commando Army
- Free Idlib Army
- Army of Conquest
- Syrian Democratic Forces
- Al-Sanadid Forces
- People's Protection Units
References
- ^ Saudi edges Qatar to control Syrian rebel support retrieved 6 June 2013
- ^ a b c Chivers, C. J.; Schmitt, Eric (26 February 2013). "In Shift, Saudis Are Said to Arm Rebels in Syria". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
- ^ "Victory for Assad looks increasingly likely as world loses interest in Syria". The Guardian. 31 August 2017.
- ^ Aboufadel, Leith (2018-11-07). "Syria and Saudi Arabia to potentially reconcile after UAE reopens Damascus embassy". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 2021-09-28.
- ^ Sly, Liz; DeYoung, Karen (23 February 2013). "In Syria, new influx of weapons to rebels tilts the battle against Assad". Washington Post.
- ^ Chivers, C. J.; Schmitt, Eric (25 February 2013). "Saudis Step Up Help for Rebels in Syria With Croatian Arms". The New York Times.
- ^ Mazzetti, Mark; Apuzzo, Matt (January 23, 2016). "U.S. Relies Heavily on Saudi Money to Support Syrian Rebels". The New York Times. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
- Wall Street Journal, 25 August 2013, A Veteran Saudi Power Player Works To Build Support to Topple Assad
- ^ Cooke, Shamus (21 January 2013). "Report: Saudis sent death-row inmates to fight Syria". USA Today. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
- ^ Iraq crisis: How Saudi Arabia helped ISIS take over the north of the country : A speech by an ex-MI6 boss hints at a plan going back over a decade. In some areas, being Shia is akin to being a Jew in Nazi Germany, The Independent, 14-07-15
- ^ "Insight: Saudi Arabia boosts Salafist rivals to al Qaeda in Syria". Reuters. 1 October 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
- ^ "Syria crisis: Saudi Arabia to spend millions to train new rebel force". The Guardian. 7 November 2013. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia's Shadow War". Foreign Policy. 6 November 2013. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
- ^ "Rebels push forward in southern Syria". AP NEWS. 2014-11-28. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
- ^ "The rise and ugly fall of a moderate Syrian rebel offers lessons for the West". Washington Post. 5 January 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
- ^ Yehuda U. Blanga (Winter 2017). "Saudi Arabia's Motives in the Syrian Civil War" (PDF). Middle East Policy. XXIV (4).
- ^ "Syria's Secular and Islamist Rebels: Who Are the Saudis and the Qataris Arming?". Time Magazine. 18 September 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
- ^ Pierret, Thomas (9 August 2013). "External support and the Syrian insurgency". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ^ Charles Lister, Yes, there are 70,000 moderate opposition fighters in Syria. Here’s what we know about them, The Spectator, 27 November 2015
- ^ Guide to the Syrian rebels, BBC, 13 December 2013
- ^ "The Mujahedeen Army of Aleppo". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 8 April 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ^ "Rigged Cars and Barrel Bombs: Aleppo and the State of the Syrian War" (PDF). International Crisis Group. 9 September 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 September 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ^ "Proposed 'Northern Army' in Syria alienates Kurds". The Arab Weekly. 22 May 2016.
- ^ "Putin mends broken relations with Turkey′s Erdoğan". BBC. 9 August 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
- ^ Kim Sengupta (12 May 2015). "Turkey and Saudi Arabia alarm the West by backing Islamist extremists the Americans had bombed in Syria". The Independent.
- ^ Saudi support to rebels slows Assad attacks: pro-Damascus sources, Reuters, 06-11-15
- ^ 350 diplomatic flights carry weapons for terrorists, Trud, 2. July 2017
- ^ Harut Sassounian: The U.S. and Europe Must Investigate Azerbaijani Shipments of Weapons to Terrorists, The Armenian Weekly, 11 July 2017
- ^ Report: Saudi, UAE weapons end up with armed groups, Al Jazeera, 27 August 2017
- ^ "Why an Arab stabilisation force in Syria won't work".
- ^ "Saudi Arabia in talks with SDF to form new force in northern Syria".
- ^ "Saudi Arabia wants to build its own Arab army in Syria with U.S. Help, report says". Newsweek. 30 May 2018.