"Ousted Syrian leader's former spy chief and billionaire cousin scheme to destabilise Syria with armed violence. Former loyalists to deposed Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad are funnelling millions of dollars to tens of thousands of potential fighters in a bid to start uprisings against the country's fledgling government, a Reuters investigation has found. The plot, uncovered through interviews with 48 people and financial documents reviewed by the Reuters news agency, comes as Syria marks one year since al-Assad's fall and as the new government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa gains international legitimacy."
"The schemes threaten to ignite new sectarian violence at a pivotal moment in the country's fragile transition. Two men once closest to al-Assad Major-General Kamal Hassan, his former military intelligence chief, and billionaire cousin Rami Makhlouf are competing from exile in Moscow to build militias among Syria's Alawite minority, the sect long associated with the fallen dynasty, according to the Reuters findings. Together with other factions, they are financing more than 50,000 fighters in hopes of winning their loyalty."
"Hassan, who ran the regime's notorious military detention system, has been making relentless calls and sending voice messages to commanders from his Moscow villa, according to people close to him interviewed by Reuters. Reuters reported that he seethes about his lost influence and outlines grandiose visions of how he would rule coastal Syria, home to most of the country's Alawite population and al-Assad's former power base. Be patient, my people, and don't surrender your arms. I am the one who will restore your dignity, Hassan said in one WhatsApp message reviewed by Reuters."
Former loyalists to deposed Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad are funneling millions of dollars to tens of thousands of potential fighters to trigger uprisings against the fledgling government. Two ex-allies, Major-General Kamal Hassan and billionaire Rami Makhlouf, are competing from exile in Moscow to build militias among Syria's Alawite minority and to finance more than 50,000 fighters with other factions. The schemes aim to regain territorial influence, especially along the Alawite-dominated coast, and to reassert control after the fall of the regime. The operations include direct communications with commanders, cash flows and promises of restored dignity and power, risking renewed sectarian violence during the fragile transition.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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