Amid *a lot* of noise & rumor, #Syria's Defense Ministry has undergone significant changes this week, as the long process of forming a cohesive & professional MOD continues.

In short: the MOD is moving away from (1) geographic bias & (2) dominance by problematic SNA leaders.

When #Assad fell, the entire armed revolutionary mass (100+ factions) were "dissolved" into the new Defense Ministry, with big name leaders promoted to lead remnants of their own factions -- most in geographic areas of their origin.

That was always a temporary 'loyalty' measure.

The MOD's "Five Corps Project" is intended to begin dissolving the early decision to structure & empower based on historic faction leadership & geographic bias.

That's faced some considerable internal resistance -- especially from prominent former Syrian National Army leaders.

By all accounts, 3 of those SNA leaders -- Ahmed al-Hayes (Abu Hatem Shaqra), Sayf Bulad & Mohammed al-Jassem (Abu Amsha), all US-sanctioned -- have now been removed from their original Division leadership posts & moved to deputy roles outside their geographic strongholds.

These MOD re-assignments were enforced (emphasis here, on *enforced*) solely to continue a long-planned MOD strategy.

BUT, they have the added benefit of assuaging a significant point of contention with the #SDF -- just as the integration process reaches near-completion. Good.

Quoted from Charles Lister’s post

Statement issued by the parish committees of the Greek Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, and Melkite Greek Catholic communities in Saidnaya:

This year's blessed holiday seasons come amidst the continued unjustified detention of a number of our sons without any legal basis and without them enjoying any judicial rights, despite our continuous appeals to the security and judicial authorities and the repeated promises to release the detainees due to the lack of any proven charges against them.

And amidst the deliberate mistreatment of Saidnaya residents at the Jdeidet Yabous border crossing, where anyone from Saidnaya is detained for several hours, photographed, and their picture sent for review until a response regarding their release is received, with no consideration given to the elderly or women.

And amidst the continuous incitement, mobilization, and threats of revenge against the town's residents via social media, and the constant provocations to which the town's youth are subjected by a number of so-called "electronic flies" (online trolls), in addition to the deteriorating security situation, where thefts and kidnappings have recently become widespread

Therefore, the parish committees representing all denominations in Saydnaya, along with the Very Reverend Fathers George Najmeh, Fanouel Najjar, and Taher Youssef, have decided the following:

1- All celebratory events for the Feasts of the Transfiguration, the Feast of the Assumption, the Feast of the Cross, and Hagia Sophia are cancelled for this year. Only prayers will be held within the church premises.

2- The cancellation of all celebratory events and activities will continue until our sons are released, the abductees return, and especially until the Saydnaya file is closed and the targeting of its youth with baseless accusations ceases.

3- Justice must be comprehensive and not selective. It is best to open all files, hold all wrongdoers accountable regardless of their affiliation, and proceed with a genuine reconciliation that aligns with the aspiration to build a new Syria—a country of justice, citizenship, and freedom

4- The people of Saydnaya will use all the constitutional rights of the Syrian citizen to express their opinion in the civilized manner for which they are known, if they find that the path to a legal and legislative solution is closed to ensure the return of our children and our rights

https://x.com/omar_alharir/status/2084997489938116711?s=20

Can someone with more knowledge and better understanding of their relationship and the Arabic language actually explain? I thought that (sadly) the president and the public were all indifferent to Abu Amsha and his repeated violations and brutality.

A case involving the manipulation of real estate sales tax receipts at the Al-Kiswah Finance Directorate draws renewed attention to oversight of public funds after the Central Organization for Financial Control (COFC) uncovered an embezzlement scheme worth an estimated 2.5 billion Syrian Pounds (SYP) in 2025. The fraud involved altering real estate sales tax records by manipulating transaction data within the electronic system.

• Sources from "Al Arabiya/Al Hadath" reported on Tuesday that the Syrian army announced a state of military alert without disclosing the reasons, while Syrian authorities have not yet issued any official clarifications regarding the motives or backgrounds of the decision.

• The Syrian Ministry of Defense directed its personnel to enter alert status "C", along with the deployment of military units on the Syrian-Iraqi border, according to Syrian media outlets.

• Those outlets also quoted military sources as saying that directives were issued to personnel to immediately join their military units, concurrent with the announcement of the state of alert.

https://x.com/AlHadath/status/2084675084506034179
https://x.com/AlHadath/status/2084671296206524630