The recognized territory is divided among countless armed groups, including the recognized government:
— Officially: الجمهورية العربية السورية « ɔal-Ĝumhūrīaḧ ɔal-Carabīaḧ ɔal-Sūrīaḧ ».
— Seat of government: دمشق « Dimašq ».
— Structure: Semi-autocratic government based on loyalty to the current president and, more importantly, his father.
— Governing party: الجبهة الوطنية التقدمية « ɔal-Ĝabhaḧ ɔal-Ŭatanīaḧ ɔal-Taqad:umīaḧ », chiefly حزب البعث العربى الاشتراكى « Hizb ɔal-Bacþ ɔal-Carabī ɔal-Ɔištirākī ».
— Head of government: بشار الاسد « Bašār ɔal-Ɔasad », president.
— Opposition groupings (pre-revolt): الإخوان المسلمون « ɔal-Ɔixŭān ɔul-Muslimūn »; National Democratic League; Committees for the Revival of Civil Society; National Dialogue Forum, led by رياض سيف « Rīād Sajf ».
— Recent history: The death of حافظ الاسد « Hāfið ɔal-Ɔasad » (1970-2000) was the end one of the world’s leading autocracies. Though ignored by the West, he was, like صدام حسين « Sad:ām Husajn », a murderous, oppressive, power-mad, self-aggrandizing dictator. His son بشار الاسد « Bašār ɔal-Ɔasad », the most prominent of a collective régime, initially appeared to be a marginally-more-liberal figure, and numerous intellectuals tested this by publishing calls for liberalization in the province de facto of لبنان « Lubnān ». But the state issued condemnations of these intellectuals, and suspended their free-speech fora. Any liberalization ceased in an internal power struggle, with arrests of prominent dissidents. Popular and international pressure led to a withdrawal from لبنان « Lubnān » in 2005. In 2011, peaceful protests, following others around the region, called for the end of the régime, and were met with brutal force and massacres, leading to an armed revolt. Various opposition factions have taken territory, including most of the régime’s former eastern territory and much of the north, though the régime has reconquered some territory. The revolt has led to nearly two hundred thousand deaths, most the responsiblity of the régime and the illiberal opposition, and has seen the régime deploy chemical weapons on many occasions, even after it agreed to surrender these weapons.
Two territories in recognized سوريا « Sūrīā » are distinctive: داعش « DĀCiŠ » (see), which has broad territorial control and ambitions, and Rojavaya Kurdistanê, which is mostly uninterested in عربى Carabī territory.
Rojavaya Kurdistanê
— Also: Rojava.
— English: Western (or Syrian) Kurdistan.
— Governing party: Partiya Yekîtiya Demokrat.
— Assessment: The Yekîneyên Parastina Gel were originally defending against the اسد « Ɔasad » régime, but now are predominantly facing داعش « DĀCiŠ », who have taken nearly all adjacent territory in recognized سوريا « Sūrīā ». The Kurdî population has long-established ambition for independence or at least autonomy from the various states who have controlled Kurdistan. In addition to fighting in سوريا « Sūrīā », the YPG has also intervened in العراق « ɔal-Cirāq », specifically to rescue Êzidîtî trapped on the Şingal ridge.
Other groups controlling territory in recognized سوريا « Sūrīā » include the following:
الجيش السوري الحر « ɔal-Ĝajš ɔal-Sūrī ɔal-Hur: »
— English: Free Syrian Army.
— Assessment: The main locus of liberal, armed عربى Carabī resistance, while not exclusively liberal. It is also the only armed opposition with a سوري Sūrī nationalist orientation.
الجبهة النصرة لأهل الشام « ɔal-Ĝabhaḧ ɔal-Nusraḧ li-Ɔahli ɔal-Šām »
الجبهة الإسلامية « ɔal-Ĝabhaḧ ɔal-Ɔislāmīaḧ »
— FH: 7-7, not free. Econ: 1.63 (164), authoritarian. (For سوريا « Sūrīā » as a whole.)
O.T. FORD
— English: Nusra (Support) Front for the People of the Levant.
— Officially: هيئة تحرير الشام « Hajỉaḧ Tahrīr ɔal-Šām ».
— Assessment: Created as the القاعدة « ɔal-Qācidaḧ » affiliate in سوريا « Sūrīā » when داعش « DĀCiŠ » split off. Has cooperated with nationalist forces against both the اسد « Ɔasad » régime and داعش « DĀCiŠ ». In 2016, it deceptively claimed to break ties with القاعدة « ɔal-Qācidaḧ », renaming itself “جبهة فتح الشام « Ĝabhaḧ Fatah ɔal-Šām »”, and now dominates a coalition under its current official name, controlling nearly all of the former ادلب « Ɔidlib » province and some adjacent territory.
— English: Islamic Front.
— Assessment: Supported by العربية السعودية « ɔal-Carabīaḧ ɔal-Sacūdīaḧ ».
— Updated: 2014 October 21.