As they try to whitewash Kiev’s Nazis, the U.S.-led coalition is now and once again rebranding its main proxy in the southeastern Syrian area of al-Tanf, Maghaweir al-Thowra (MaT), the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on October 23.
According to the London-based monitoring group, the coalition will change the name of the proxy group to the “Army of Free Syria”. The decision was made during a recent meeting between senior officers from the coalition and MaT leader Muhammad Farid Qassem at al-Tanf garrison.
The new name resembles that of the Free Syrian Army, which was used by countless rebel groups early on in the Syrian war.
Last month, the U.S.-led coalition appointed Qassem, a former captain of the Syrian military, as the new leader of the MaT. Qassem replaced the founder of the group Muhanad Tala, who was reportedly expelled from al-Tanf by the coalition.
The appointment of Qassem, who is known to be a violent radical, was initially rejected by MaT militants as well as civilians in al-Tanf and the nearby Rukban refugee camp. However, Qassem assumed his position eventually with direct support from the coalition.
The MaT maintains at least 300 militants in the coalition al-Tanf garrison, where some 200 U.S. troops are usually deployed.
By appointing a radical as the leader of the MaT and then replacing the name of the group with a more general one, the U.S.-led coalition may be preparing to launch a new insurgency against Syrian government forces from al-Tanf. Any such move will likely be met with a response from Damascus and its allies, South Front reports
Earlier this month, the United States main proxy in the southeastern Syrian area of al-Tanf, Maghaweir al-Thowra (MaT), has officially rejected the coalition’s recent decision to remove its leader Muhanad Tala.
Tala, who founded the MaT in 2016 with support from the U.S.-led coalition, is a former colonel of the Syrian Arab Army who defected early on in the war. The coalition removed Tala from his position last week. The leader was replaced by Muhammad Farid Qassem, a former captain who joined the rebels after defecting from the army and later formed the al-Qaryatayn Martyrs Brigade in al-Tanf with support from the U.S.
In a statement released on October 2, the Joint Military Command of the MaT rejected the U.S. decision to appoint Qassem as the group’s new leader, denouncing the coalition’s attempts to intervene in its internal affairs.
“We reject the attempt to impose Cpt. Muhammad Farid Qassem as the army commander for many reasons, the simplest of which is that he is not one of our officers or affiliates, and call on the General Command of the Coalition to intervene directly to avoid the dangerous repercussions that could arise as a result of this irresponsible decision,” the statement reads.
The MaT maintains at least 300 militants in the coalition al-Tanf garrison, where some 200 U.S. troops are usually deployed.
Qassem, who is a violent radical, was reportedly appointed as the new leader of the MaT upon direct orders from the U.S. Central Command. Despite his alleged terrorist activities with the al-Qaryatayn Martyrs Brigade, Qassem remained very close to the coalition. He even worked with the U.S. Special Operations Command.
Tala was allegedly sacked from his position because of a recent trip he made to Turkey, during which he held talks with the country’s intelligence officials.
The decision to remove Tala led to a series of protests by civilians and militants in al-Tanf garrison and the nearby Rukban refugee camp.
In an attempt to ease the tension, the new MaT leader and and unidentified commander of the U.S.-led coalition released a video message on October 2. Qassem said in the message that he will work with the coalition to build “future Syria,” while the coalition commander stressed that they will provide all support for him.
The poorly-directed message, which highlights the coalition’s sadistic relationship with its proxies in Syria, has clearly failed to convince the opponents of Qassem.
All in all, it appeases that the U.S.-led coalition al-Tanf garrison is now experiencing a mutiny led by the MaT. The coalition does not appear to be willing to compromise. This could lead to more escalation and instability in the area. It could also open the door to the area for Damascus and its allies.
The U.S.-led coalition has finally imposed its will on its proxies in the southeastern Syrian area of al-Tanf by installing a new leader for Maghaweir al-Thowra (MaT) of its own choosing.
A crisis emerged in al-Tanf late in September when the U.S. coalition sacked Muhanad Tala, a former colonel of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), from his position as the leader of the MaT. The coalition replaced Tala with Muhammad Farid Qassem, who served as a captain in the SAA before defecting to join the rebels and later forming the US-backed al-Qaryatayn Martyrs Brigade in al-Tanf.
With 300 militants, the MaT is the main proxy group in the coalition al-Tanf garrison, where some 200 U.S. troops are usually deployed.
The coalition’s decision to sack Tala led to a series of protests by civilians and militants in al-Tanf garrison and the nearby Rukban refugee camp. The new leader, Qassem, was also rejected by the Joint Military Command of the MaT.
Despite being rejected, Qassem assumed his position as the leader of the MaT early in October. On the 3rd of the month, photos showing the new leader meeting with senior commanders of the proxy group were released. All protests in the area had ended by then.
Tonight, newly appointed Commander of the @MaghaweirThowra, Fareed Qassim, met with military leaders to discuss the transition of power and future operations. Through change, we remain vigilant in the fight against #Daesh and security of the 55km.
Tonight, newly appointed Commander of the @MaghaweirThowra, Fareed Qassim, met with military leaders to discuss the transition of power and future operations. Through change, we remain vigilant in the fight against #Daesh and security of the 55km. pic.twitter.com/JHZUmWlobJ
— جيش سورية الحرة (@SyrianFree_Army) October 3, 2022
On October 5, the MaT posted photos on Twitter showing that its militants have resumed training with the U.S.-led coalition.
The coalition’s official account on Twitter retweet the photos with words expressing its support for Qassem as the new leader of the MaT. Interestingly, the coalition has apparently taken the initiative to promote Qassem to the rank of colonel.
It is clear our partnership & commitment remains strong to better #AdviseAssistEnable our @MaghaweirThowra partners in promoting security & sustaining regional stability, while Col. Farid Al-Qassem took command of MaT.
It is clear our partnership & commitment remains strong to better #AdviseAssistEnable our @MaghaweirThowra partners in promoting security & sustaining regional stability, while Col. Farid Al-Qassem took command of MaT. #StrongerTogether https://t.co/Jr70H7jwiy
— Operation Inherent Resolve (@CJTFOIR) October 6, 2022
Qassem was reportedly appointed as the new leader of the MaT upon direct orders from the U.S. Central Command. Despite having the reputation of a violent radical, Qassem maintained very close relations with to the coalition, especially with the U.S. Special Operations Command.
The decision to sack Tala was justified by his involvement in many criminal activities, like weapons and drugs trafficking. However, it remains unclear why the U.S.-led coalition decided to replace him with a radical like Qassem, whose former group was accused of carrying out terrorist attacks in the past.
The coalition may have appointed Qassem as the new leader of the MaT in order to push its proxies in al-Tanf to escalate their attacks on Syrian government forces and civilian infrastructure in nearby areas.