Speaking to Asharq News, Muhsen AlMustafa explains that eased licensing restrictions allow applications to be considered while Washington retains approval authority. He stresses turning unified command into an institution where loyalty to the state supersedes factional affiliation, with doctrine guiding missions, training and equipment, while noting improvements in the army’s structure. He advocates gradual rebuilding with sustainable funding for salaries, training and maintenance. He warns that reliance on a single supporter could create influence, but considers this unlikely given the leadership’s commitment to independent decision-making.
Çağlar Özer’s article in Lectio Socialis cited the English-language paper “Beyond the Axis: Israel’s Approach in Syria from Threat Management to Reshaping the Security Environment.” The citation appears in the discussion on page 8, and the paper is listed in the references on page 16.
Samer Abboud’s study for the Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS) cited “What Was Syria’s Violence About?”, an interview conducted by Michael Young and published by Carnegie. The reference appears in footnote 9 in the discussion of Giath Dalla.
The Egyptian Institute for Studies bulletin “Us and the World” summarized findings and used data from the longer Arabic study on Israel’s approach in Syria, linking to the Omran publication. The issue title refers to 15 May, while the publication page displays 17 May 2026.
Issue 29/2026 of SWP’s Middle East and North Africa Web Monitor lists “Toward a Unified National Army: The Ministry of Defense’s Restructuring Plan” on page 16, in the section on Syria’s transition and reconstruction. The title and Omran source link appear as a bibliographic entry, not an analytical endorsement of the study.
Issue 11/2026 of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) bibliographic bulletin listed “Syrian Army Discipline: Standards and Sustainability Measures.” The study’s title and Omran link appear on page 8 in the section on transition and reconstruction in Syria.
Kersten Knipp’s Deutsche Welle report cites “Syria’s Kurds have an opportunity”, discussing the article’s argument for parliamentary representation, political pluralism and Kurdish integration into the Syrian state.
The Swiss SEM’s Syria note cites the Atlantic Council article “Why DDR programs are the missing link to Syrian stability”. Footnote 11 on page 7 identifies the article by title and URL in the discussion of the former security apparatus’s dissolution. The document is dated 30 January 2026; SEM’s listing uses 31 January. This is a source citation, not policy endorsement.
Marta Viaggi’s LUISS Guido Carli master’s thesis for academic year 2024/2025 draws on “Assad’s Officers’ Companies: Disclosure, Accountability and Reallocation”. The discussion on printed pages 85–86 addresses the study’s framework for exposing economic networks, accountability and reallocating resources. The study is listed in the bibliography on page 107.
The date used here, 29 January 2026, is the repository deposit date, not a confirmed publication date.
Issue 07/2026 of SWP’s Middle East and North Africa Web Monitor lists the Arabic article “عامٌ على سقوط الأسد… اختبار بناء جيشٍ وطني في سوريا” on page 8, in the section on Syria’s transition and reconstruction. The title and source link form a bibliographic entry, not an analytical endorsement of the article.
Seeing Muhsen AlMustafa’s statement to the Spanish newspaper elsalto, he believes that the rapid success achieved by the Syrian army in its offensive on Self-Administration areas is due to a mix of military, social, and institutional factors, most notably the development of military strategy and the army’s receiving support from some local tribes. He emphasizes that the social factor was decisive, as Arab tribes played a fundamental role in paving the way for the army’s advance, especially with local residents joining its ranks, which strengthened the legitimacy of the military operation and coordination with the population. On the political level, AlMustafa expects Syria to move toward a centralized system, while adopting broad administrative decentralization with extensive powers at the local level, without granting any region a special autonomous status.
Spanish
Según la declaración de Muhsen AlMustafa al periódico español El Salto, considera que el rápido éxito logrado por el ejército sirio en su ofensiva contra las zonas de la Administración Autónoma se debe a una combinación de factores militares, sociales e institucionales, entre los que destacan la evolución de la estrategia militar y el apoyo recibido por el ejército de algunas tribus locales. Subraya que el factor social fue decisivo, ya que las tribus árabes desempeñaron un papel fundamental al allanar el camino para el avance del ejército, especialmente con la incorporación de habitantes de la región a sus filas, lo que reforzó la legitimidad de la operación militar y la coordinación con la población. En el plano político, AlMustafa prevé que Siria se encamine hacia un sistema centralizado, adoptando al mismo tiempo una amplia descentralización administrativa con extensas competencias a nivel local, sin otorgar a ninguna región un estatus autónomo especial.
