Syria's transitional authorities have so far recruited half of a planned 200,000-man army, a Syrian military official briefed on the progress told The National.
Uniting myriad factions after the civil war, which broke out in 2011 and ended in December, is crucial for the consolidation of power by President Ahmad Al Shara, and could heal the country's fragmentation.
The leaders of Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, the group that led the rebel offensive that removed the regime of former president Bashar Al Assad last year, are aiming for a major geopolitical Middle East transformation.
Foreign fighters who were allies of HTS in the civil war have been brought into a new brigade, meeting a major US demand to contain them.
The official told The National that a 3,500-man brigade, comprising mostly foreign Uighur fighters, has been created under a commander known by the pseudonym Abu Muhammad Al Turkistani.
He owes loyalty to a more senior Uighur figure in Syria known as Abu Dajana, who has a direct line to Mr Al Shara, the official explained.
“The Uighurs and most of the foreign fighters will be given Syrian citizenship by the end of the year,” the official said, adding that the army will mostly consist of existing HTS members and factions from the civil war, rather than conscripts without military experience.
The new army also includes 30,000 members of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army. It aims to bring in 15,000 members of the mostly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces – which is supported by the US and is in control of large parts of eastern Syria.
Mr Al Shara and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi have been discussing integrating the forces into the new army. On Tuesday, US special envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack told the Turkish NTV channel that the US will be reducing its military presence to the country from eight bases to one, a development not favourable to the SDF.
Last week, Mr Barrack, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, met Mr Al Shara in Damascus and announced that Washington would lift Syria's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.
The Uighurs in Syria mainly came from China during the Syrian civil war. They belong to Al Qaeda-linked Turkistan Islamic Party, aligned with HTS and its forerunners.
For years, the group led HTS attacks on the Assad regime and other foes until the HTS built its own special forces comprising mostly Syrians, sources said.
The army is expected to be firmly under the control of the Syrian authorities. About two thirds of the senior commanders already appointed are HTS members, while the rest are drawn from the brigades that teamed up with the group, such as the Syrian National Army.
Salaries range from $150 to $500 and are being paid from resources under HTS control, including two telecoms companies that belonged to Mr Al Assad and his associates, the official said.
But the US decision last month to lift sanctions on Syria will help draw Arab funding, he added.
Every division will have 10,000 troops organised into five brigades − two infantry brigades, one armoured brigade, as well as a special forces and a “multi-task” brigade.
“Most brigades, bar the infantry, are still at skeleton stage,” the official said, adding the plans are being mainly drawn by Ali Noureddine Al Naasan, who Mr Al Shara appointed as army chief in January, and Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra.
Both men were close allies of Mr Al Shara during most of his transformation from a fighter in an extremist group to a President.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
UAE Falcons
Carly Lewis (captain), Emily Fensome, Kelly Loy, Isabel Affley, Jessica Cronin, Jemma Eley, Jenna Guy, Kate Lewis, Megan Polley, Charlie Preston, Becki Quigley and Sophie Siffre. Deb Jones and Lucia Sdao – coach and assistant coach.
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AGL AWARDS
Golden Ball - best Emirati player: Khalfan Mubarak (Al Jazira)
Golden Ball - best foreign player: Igor Coronado (Sharjah)
Golden Glove - best goalkeeper: Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah)
Best Coach - the leader: Abdulaziz Al Anbari (Sharjah)
Fans' Player of the Year: Driss Fetouhi (Dibba)
Golden Boy - best young player: Ali Saleh (Al Wasl)
Best Fans of the Year: Sharjah
Goal of the Year: Michael Ortega (Baniyas)
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
FIGHT%20CARD
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELightweight%2010%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBader%20Samreen%20(8-0-0)%20v%20Jose%20Paez%20Gonzales%20(16-2-2)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESuper%20flyweight%2010%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ESultan%20Al%20Nuaimi%20(9-0-0)%20v%20Jemsi%20Kibazange%20(18-6-2)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECruiseweight%208%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMohammed%20Bekdash%20(25-0-0)%20v%20Musa%20N%E2%80%99tege%20(8-4-0)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESuper%20featherweight%208%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBishara%20Sabbar%20(6-0-0)%20v%20Mohammed%20Azahar%20(8-5-1)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWelterweight%206%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMarwan%20Mohamad%20Madboly%20(2-0-0)%20v%20Sheldon%20Schultz%20(4-4-0)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EHeavyweight%204%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EYoussef%20Karrar%20(1-0-0)%20v%20Muhammad%20Muzeei%20(0-0-0)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWelterweight%206%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBenyamin%20Moradzadeh%20(0-0-0)%20v%20Rohit%20Chaudhary%20(4-0-2)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFeatherweight%204%20rounds%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EYousuf%20Ali%20(2-0-0)%20(win-loss-draw)%20v%20Alex%20Semugenyi%20(0-1-0)%0D%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'
Rating: 3/5
Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro
Writers: Walter Mosley
Stars: Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
