In the aftermath of the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Syria’s new Islamist rulers are demanding the surrender of former security forces at newly established “settlement centers.” These makeshift offices, often set up in the very buildings that once housed the feared intelligence apparatus, are where those who served the Assad government must now turn themselves and their weapons in.
Dismantling the Security State
At the former headquarters of Syria’s general intelligence service in Damascus, hastily abandoned cars and bullet casings still litter the grounds – remnants of the looting and destruction that erupted as Syrians vented decades of anger at the symbols of Assad’s police state. But now, this building serves a new purpose under the fledgling administration led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a militant group that once fought against the regime.
Lines of men, many of them former officers and government officials, wait in the courtyard to receive paperwork officially marking their surrender to the new authorities. HTS fighters, clad in crisp military-style uniforms, carefully catalogue the procession of pistols, rifles, and ammunition turned over by the one-time members of the security forces.
“People come here as they fear revenge killings, but a lot of the officers will say they were working in the kitchen or driving.”
– Abu Sariyeh al-Shami, former HTS fighter overseeing settlement center
Distinguishing Criminals from Cogs
The new administration has pledged to prosecute the upper echelons of Assad’s military and security forces for war crimes. But the fate of low and mid-level members remains uncertain. HTS officials overseeing the process of reconciliation say their role is to demonstrate that those who cooperate have little to fear.
However, the uncomfortable reality is that many of those now greeting their former adversaries were themselves victims of the very security apparatus they must now dismantle. Shami, the HTS fighter in charge of a settlement center, recounted coming face-to-face with some of the individuals responsible for attacks and atrocities in his hometown. Resisting the impulse for retribution, he said, is a daily struggle.
“I met officers responsible for attacking my town, Jabal Zawiya, and raping people. I dealt with them fairly.”
– Abu Sariyeh al-Shami
Repurposing the Regime’s Resources
For certain former officials with potentially useful skills and knowledge, the new government appears keen to secure their cooperation, at least for now. One former deputy police commander arrived to warm greetings from Shami, who explained that figures like him could be valuable in establishing a new order.
According to Shami, an officer who formerly served as the Syrian liaison to Interpol has been allowed to keep his home and car in exchange for assisting the new administration with information on individuals sought by the international policing body. Such tentative partnerships, born of pragmatism, may be unavoidable as HTS attempts to transition from an insurgency to a governing force.
Cracks in the Reconciliation
Yet even as some navigate the delicate dance of surrender and cooperation, unease permeates the process. Many of those who dutifully arrive to turn themselves in appear eager to downplay their former roles, insisting they were merely low-level cogs in the state machinery. “It was just a job,” said one man who claimed to have worked as a driver for the intelligence service.
Others, like Tony, who says he worked gathering information on foreign visitors for the general intelligence directorate, are already seeking ways to flee Syria, fearing reprisals and an uncertain future. After half a lifetime in service of a now-extinct government, starting over is a daunting prospect.
“What job am I going to do after this, with my experience? Drive a taxi? There are thousands like me who worked here.”
– Tony, former intelligence officer
As Syria’s new leadership grapples with the herculean task of rebuilding a shattered nation, the messy work of dismantling the former regime’s sprawling security apparatus is only just beginning. Distinguishing the criminals from the cogs in the system, and determining who can be brought into the fold, will likely be a long and fraught process – but one that could determine the success of Syria’s post-Assad future.
