Peloni: The reality is that if Jolani fulfills the role of expected of him by Trump, he will not live long, making the reality of Trump’s plans for Syria far more precarious for Israel as the US begins its pivot towards areas more central to where Trump perceives American interests lie.
The New Syrian Army Is a Hybrid Security Model That Is Formally Institutionalizing Globally Blacklisted Foreign Militants
Amine Ayoub | MEF | Nov 30, 2025
Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met with al-Jolani. Photo by Presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic – Presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic, Public Domain, Wikipedia
The “New Syria” heralded by President Ahmed al-Sharaa is being aggressively marketed to the world as a pragmatic, post-conflict entity ripe for investment. After years of civil war, Damascus is appealing for billions to finance reconstruction, promising a stable, modern state ready for regional integration.
Yet, this vision is a facade. A look inside the new military architecture reveals a shocking reality: the New Syrian Army (NSA) is a hybrid security model that is formally institutionalizing globally blacklisted foreign militants, making the new state an unwitting sponsor of transnational jihad.
Foreign reconstruction capital, primarily from the Gulf and Asia, is now at high risk of funding the permanent infrastructure of future ideological conflict.
The Institutionalization of Extremism
The transition government’s security strategy is based on military consolidation: absorbing disparate rebel forces to replace the former regime’s security apparatus. Crucially, this strategy includes the formal integration of thousands of foreign, ideological fighters into the NSA structure.
The most jarring evidence of this compromise is the 84th Division, a unit designed to house foreign combatants. This division is now home to an estimated 3,500 Uyghur militants, many linked to the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP), an anti-China organization that Beijing classifies as a terrorist threat. These are not merely rank-and-file soldiers; Uyghur militants have assumed senior Syrian military positions, including the rank of brigadier general and colonels.
This integration transforms a dispersed terrorist problem into a structurally protected, state-affiliated entity. By granting these battle-hardened veterans formal ranks, salaries, and access to state resources, Damascus ensures their loyalty and utilizes their combat expertise. However, the move simultaneously institutionalizes transnational extremism, creating a permanent, protected base of operations for a group committed to waging an insurgency far beyond Syria’s borders.
The Financial Blackmail of the New Patrons
The New Syrian Army is structurally dependent on external funding, a dynamic that has made the country a site of dangerous geopolitical leverage. Every major foreign actor is now forced to negotiate with a regime that holds ideological militants as strategic assets.
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