Arab Nationalist Guard - Misplaced Pages

Secular volunteer militia force in Syria

Arab Nationalist Guard الحرس القومي العربي
Arab National Guard emblem and flag
Dates of operation	April 2013–?
Headquarters	Sidon, Lebanon
Active regions	Western Syria
Ideology	Arab nationalism Pan-Arabism Anti-Zionism Nasserism Anti-imperialism Secularism
Size	1,000 (May 2014)
Allies	Syrian Armed Forces (until 2024) National Defense Forces (until 2024) Hezbollah (until 2024) Ba'ath Brigades (until 2018)
Opponents	Free Syrian Army Ahrar al-Sham Jaysh al-Islam Al-Nusra Front
Battles and wars	Syrian Civil War 2012–13 escalation Quneitra Governorate clashes (2012–14) Rif Dimashq offensive (September–November 2013) Battle of Qalamoun (2013) Daraa offensive (February–May 2014) Ithriyah-Raqqa offensive (June 2016) Siege of Darayya and Muadamiyat Battle of Harasta (2017–2018) Siege of Eastern Ghouta Southern Damascus offensive (April–May 2018) Northwestern Syria offensive (April–August 2019)

The Arab Nationalist Guard (Arabic: الحرس القومي العربي) was a secular volunteer militia force operating in Syria. The group espouses an Arab nationalist ideology. The Arab Nationalist Guard's membership includes nationalists from a variety of Arab countries.

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", 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.

By 2017, the unit had taken up positions in Deraa city. It later fought in the Siege of Eastern Ghouta. 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. It was still operating in Damascus by early 2021.

Ideology

The group's ideology falls in line with Gamal Abdel Nasser's pan-Arab ideals (Nasserism), 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. 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.

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. 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. It has set up a camp in al-Malihah.

The militia is linked to the "Arab Nationalist Youth". The latter is active in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, as well as Egypt, and has provided recruits from the Arab Nationalist Guard. The militia has recruited fighters from Syria, Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Tunisia, and Yemen. It has also recruited Syrian Palestinians. Some of their militiamen had fought previously in the Libyan Civil War and the Iraq War. 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.

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.

References

^ Cooper (2015), p. 59.
^ 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.
"Daryya Rebels Thwarted another Attempt to Storm the City". El-Dorar Al-Shamia. 26 July 2016. Archived from the original on 27 July 2016.
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.
^ Jawad Al-Tamimi (1 January 2014). "The Arab National Guard: A Pro-Assad Militia". Aymennjawad.org. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
"Weekly Conflict Summary. July 13-19, 2017" (PDF). Carter Center. July 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
"Two Palestinian refugee die in the ongoing war in Syria". Action Group for Palestinians of Syria. 20 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
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.
^ Anna Ahronheim (21 July 2020). "Shin Bet thwarts attacks by Iranian-backed PFLP cell in the West Bank". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
^ Anton Mardasov (15 January 2021). "Moscow stands to gain from Hamas-Damascus reconciliation". al-Monitor. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
"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.

Syrian civil war

Overviews

Main overviews	Syria Rojava Syrian civil war Timeline Background and causes Syrian peace process Syrian government reactions Belligerents Inter-rebel conflict Spillover Cities and towns Sectarianism and minorities Syrian Desert campaign (December 2017–present)
Effects and ongoing concerns	Casualties of the Syrian civil war Refugees of the Syrian civil war Humanitarian aid during the Syrian civil war Human rights violations during the Syrian civil war
Phases and processes	Syrian revolution Early insurgency phase 2012–2013 escalation Ceasefires Syrian peace process
World reaction	International reactions to the Syrian civil war Foreign involvement in the Syrian civil war Reactions to the fall of the Assad regime
Specific groups and countries	Russian involvement Russian intervention Turkish involvement Turkish occupation of northern Syria Second Northern Syria Buffer Zone Russian-Turkish agreement on Syria US intervention in the Syrian civil war 2023 attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria Kurdish Area in Syria Syrian Democratic Forces Rojava conflict U.S. task force
Agreements and dialogues	Russian-Turkish agreement on Syria Relations between Syrian government and Kurdish groups in Syria
Transitional phase	Syrian transitional government

Timeline

Background

2011
Jan–Apr
May–Aug
Sep–Dec

2012
Jan–Apr
May–Aug
Sep–Dec

2013
Jan–Apr
May–Dec

2014
Jan–Jul
Aug–Dec

2015
Jan–Jul
Aug–Dec

2016
Jan–Apr
May–Aug
Sep–Dec

2017
Jan–Apr
May–Aug
Sep–Dec

2018
Jan–Apr
May–Aug
Sep–Dec

2019
Jan–Apr
May–Aug
Sep–Dec

2020
Jan–Dec

2021
Jan–Dec

2022
Jan–Dec

2023
Jan-Dec

2024
Jan–Oct
Nov–present

Spillover

Israel and Golan Heights:	March 2017 incident February 2018 incident May 2018 Israel–Iran incidents
Iraq:	Akashat ambush Operation al-Shabah April 2014 Iraqi border airstrike
Jordanian border incidents	April 2014 Jordanian border airstrike
Lebanon:	Lebanese border clashes Battle of Sidon Iranian embassy bombing in Beirut North Lebanon clashes Qalamoun (Jul–Aug 2017)
Turkey:	December 2011 Turkish border clash 2012 Turkish F-4 Phantom shootdown 2012 Turkish border clashes 2013 Reyhanlı car bombings January 2014 Turkish attack in Syria Assassination of Andrei Karlov Russian Air Force Al-Bab incident 2020 Balyun airstrikes Operation Spring Shield
Elsewhere:	Deir ez-Zor missile strike (Iran)

Belligerents

Ba'athist regime

Politics of Ba'athist Syria	Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Syria Region Syrian Social Nationalist Party Arab Socialist Movement Syrian Communist Party
Military and militias	Syrian Armed Forces Syrian Resistance PFLP-GC al-Quds Brigade Palestine Liberation Army
Foreign support	Hezbollah involvement Iranian involvement Liwa Fatemiyoun Russian involvement medical facility targeting military intervention Wagner Group Russia–Syria–Iran–Iraq coalition Popular Mobilization Forces

Opposition

Interim government	National Coalition Local Coordination Committees Syrian National Council Supreme Council of the Syrian Revolution National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change Syrian Revolution General Commission Syrian Support Group Adopt a Revolution Syrian Patriotic Group
Opposition militias	Syrian National Army Free Syrian Army National Front for Liberation Army of Glory Authenticity and Development Front Army of Free Tribes Revolutionary Commando Army Muslim Brotherhood in Syria Grey Wolves
Foreign support	US intervention Jordanian intervention Qatar Saudi Arabia Turkey

Autonomous Administration
of North and East Syria

DFNS Government	Democratic Union Party Kurdish National Council Smaller political parties
SDF militias	People's Protection Units Women's Protection Units Anti-Terror Units Al-Sanadid Forces Army of Revolutionaries SDF military councils Syriac Military Council Liwa Thuwar al-Raqqa Northern Democratic Brigade
Support	Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Kurdistan Workers' Party International Freedom Battalion Sinjar Resistance Units Êzîdxan Women's Units

Islamists

Islamic State

al-Qaeda and allies

People

Elections	2011 local elections 2012 parliamentary election 2014 presidential election 2015 Northern local elections 2016 parliamentary election 2017 Northern local elections 2017 Northern regional elections 2018 local elections 2020 parliamentary election 2021 presidential election
Issues	Casualties Cities and towns Chemical weapons Damaged heritage sites Foreign involvement Human rights violations Humanitarian aid International demonstrations and protests International reactions Massacres Mass graves Refugees Sectarianism and minorities Status of the Golan Heights Spillover in Lebanon Syrian government reactions
Peace process	Arab League monitors Friends of Syria Group Kofi Annan peace plan UN supervision mission Lakhdar Brahimi peace plan U.S.–Russia peace proposals 39th G8 summit UN Security Council Resolution 2118 Geneva II conference 2015 Zabadani cease-fire agreement Vienna talks 2016 Geneva talks Idlib demilitarization (2018–present) First Northern Syria Demilitarization Deal Second Northern Syria Demilitarization Deal Syrian Constitutional Committee
Investigations/legal cases	Investigations International Commission Chemical weapons War crimes cases Germany Canada + Netherlands vs Syria
Related topics	Exclusive mandate Fourth Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit Conference International recognition of the Syrian National Council Syria Files Syrian detainee report Syrian media coverage 2015 European migrant crisis Syrian civil war in popular culture

Category

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Categories:

History

Ideology

Organization

See also

References

Works cited