The Alawite Insurgency Against the New Syrian Government: Interview

After a coordinated attack in the coastal regions in March that was promptly thwarted by the Syrian government and its allies and culminated in massacres of Alawite civilians, the Alawite insurgency against the government continues to exist but presently at a much lower level. The most familiar brand name for this insurgency is “Quwat Dir‘ al-Sahel” (“Coastal Shield Forces”) with a variety of self-declared contingents operating under this moniker.

But what exactly is this insurgency hoping to achieve? In what sense could this insurgency be seen as ‘pro-Assad’? To explore these issues, I present an interview I conducted recently with an individual going by the name of ‘al-Uqab’, who claims leadership of a group called ‘Saraya al-Uqab’ (‘Squadrons of the Eagle’) and adopts the Coastal Shield moniker.

Many of the self-declared groups like Saraya al-Uqab that use the ‘Coastal Shield’ moniker also use the flag associated with the ‘Alawite State’ (1920-1936) of the French Mandate period.

Q: We see many units bearing the name of ‘Coastal Shield Forces’. What are the aims of these contingents exactly: for example establishing an Alawite state on the coast? Bringing down the new regime in Damascus?