{"id":39826,"date":"2025-10-01T10:07:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T10:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/?p=39826"},"modified":"2025-10-13T19:30:38","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T19:30:38","slug":"remaking-syrias-deep-state-how-militias-and-foreign-patrons-rewired-the-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/963media.com\/en\/01\/10\/2025\/remaking-syrias-deep-state-how-militias-and-foreign-patrons-rewired-the-state\/","title":{"rendered":"Remaking Syria\u2019s Deep State: How Militias and Foreign Patrons Rewired the State\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Governments are often portrayed as mere fa\u00e7ades, while the state itself is said to be run by hidden networks of bureaucrats and military men. This image, though widespread, is exaggerated. Political science instead offers the concept of the \u201cdeep state\u201d to analyse the existence of informal networks within the army, security services, and bureaucracy that influence political decision-making to varying degrees \u2013 without implying a single, secret organisation pulling all the strings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This perception spread in the Arab world due to the nature of regimes historically built on security and military apparatuses, family and sectarian loyalties, patronage economies, and the absence of transparency. Such contexts encouraged the interpretation of events through simplistic conspiracy narratives that reduce everything to shadowy networks. The very language of the \u201cdeep state\u201d itself has also become a political tool \u2013 used either to justify failures or to discredit rivals.<\/span><\/p>\n

The concept of the \u201cdeep state\u201d in political literature refers to informal networks embedded within state institutions, particularly the army, security services, and bureaucracy. These networks shape official decisions while operating under an existing institutional framework.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Ba\u2019ath Legacy<\/b><\/h2>\n

Understanding the Syrian case requires tracing the trajectory of Ba<\/span>\u2019<\/span>ath Party rule. The party seized power in 1963, and its dominance solidified after Hafez al-Assad\u2019s \u201cCorrective Movement\u201d of 1970. In this era, Syria witnessed profound changes: the militarisation of the state through the army and security agencies\u2019 grip on power, the restructuring of the economy in favour of patronage and corruption networks, the intensification of sectarian polarisation despite secular nationalist rhetoric, and the elimination of political pluralism, which stripped citizens of any real capacity for accountability.<\/span><\/p>\n

The conflict after 2011 fractured the aura of the official state while parallel power structures emerged. Pro-regime militias and economic networks<\/span> \u2013many under international sanctions \u2013 took control of key resources such as oil, wheat, and border crossings, relying heavily on external support, particularly from Iran.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read also: From Deep State to \u201cNew Ottomans\u201d: Is Erdo\u011fan Shaping His Own Version?<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s Role: Engineering a Parallel Deep State<\/b><\/h2>\n

Iran\u2019s involvement in Syria evolved from diplomacy and military support into a full-scale restructuring of power networks. Beyond its direct military role through the Quds Force and IRGC, Tehran helped create parallel security and economic institutions operating independently of official state bodies.<\/span><\/p>\n

It oversaw the formation, training, and command of dozens of sectarian militia, such as Zeinabiyoun brigades, Lebanese and Iraqi factions, and Afghan fighters, that exercise autonomous security and military authority, often in competition with the Syrian army itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Iranian-linked networks also penetrated the economy: controlling strategic sectors such as telecommunications (through plans for a parallel Iranian-backed mobile network), energy (oil imports and fuel distribution), and border trade (notably the al-Tanf crossing). Banking channels were also targeted to establish parallel financial flows. These economic levers deepened regime dependency and secured Iran long-term influence beyond immediate military needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Demographic engineering further reinforced this dominance, as Iran sponsored housing projects, religious and cultural centres, and resettlement schemes in strategic areas, creating a loyal social base tied to its interests.<\/span><\/p>\n

This multi-layered strategy made Iran a co-decision-maker in Syria, to the extent that many pivotal security and economic choices cannot be made without Iranian approval or coordination.<\/span><\/p>\n

Russia, meanwhile, has carved out its own sphere of influence, prioritising direct military control and resource extraction. This has produced a fragmented, multi-polar structure within the Syrian system, with Russian and Iranian networks sometimes competing over spoils and leverage.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the media front, the conflict has fuelled disinformation and conspiracy narratives, widening the gap between reality and public perception, and reinforcing popular notions of hidden \u201cdeep\u201d networks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite this, the official Syrian state continues to exist and provide limited services in regime-held areas. The tension between formal institutions and parallel domestic and foreign power structures sustains the perception of a \u201cdeep state\u201d in Syria.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read also: From Trauma to Illusion: Why Syrians Cling to \u2018Saviours\u2019<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

The \u201cSheikh\u201d and Hidden Authority<\/b><\/h2>\n

Fadel Naufal, a member of the General Secretariat of Syrian Democratic Committees, told <\/span>+963<\/b> that the current government is merely a collection of figures carrying the title of \u201cminister\u201d to present an image of governance through institutions.<\/span><\/p>\n

In reality, he argues, the real orders and instructions are issued by figures behind the scenes:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Military faction leaders who consolidated power after seizing control and provided the formal legitimacy for Ahmad al-Shar<\/span>a<\/span>\u2019s presidency.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Religious sheikhs, who he claims wield the actual authority to implement decisions; whether officially issued by government or by themselves directly.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    According to Naufal, no Syrian knows what legal mandate allows this group to issue and enforce such orders independently of official government bodies.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Examples abound: daily insecurity and assassinations; forced evictions in certain areas (notably Alawite districts such as Soumariyya), carried out under orders from a sheikh rather than government; and even gender segregation in schools, which investigations revealed was imposed by an \u201cenvoy of a sheikh\u201d within the Ministry of Education, rather than by the ministry itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

    He laments that citizens who once defended decisions under Assad-era governments have now become mere endorsers of the edicts of this de facto authority. Sporadic protests, he adds, have little effect against its dictatorial practices.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The most striking example, he says, is the decision to schedule parliamentary elections for next month despite insecurity in regime-controlled provinces and the exclusion of others such as Suwayda, Hasakah, and Raqqa. For Naufal, these cases reveal the true nature of this authority, with institutions reduced to hollow fa\u00e7ades that serve only to beautify its image.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The Hidden \u201cKitchen\u201d of Decision-Making<\/b><\/h2>\n

    Syrian researcher and military expert Dr. Muhammad Abbas told <\/span>+963<\/b> that governments worldwide act as fa\u00e7ades for the state. Policies are often crafted away from public scrutiny, and the \u201cdeep state\u201d is what sets strategies and steers governance.<\/span><\/p>\n

    He argues that the deep state consists of institutions such as the army and individuals holding the real levers of power. They design policies to serve specific agendas. The crucial question, he asks, is whether such structures act in service of the nation and its people, or as proxies for external powers.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Abbas underlines that the actors formally governing, whether army, bureaucracy, or civilian institutions, may or may not be part of the deep state. What matters is the hidden \u201ckitchen\u201d where real decisions are drafted and executed.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Those seen in public, politicians, ministers, or leaders, are not necessarily the true decision-makers. Instead, a \u201csmall elite\u201d dominates and entrenches itself at the core of decision-making.<\/span><\/p>\n

    He points out that this hierarchical pattern exists globally: power is inevitably concentrated in the hands of a few, regardless of transparency or accountability. The visibility of decisions only comes after they are announced; the process of making them depends on transparency levels, media scrutiny, and the balance between executive, legislative, and judicial authorities.<\/span><\/p>\n

    He highlights the vital role of parliaments, which should be able to veto harmful decisions affecting national sovereignty and security. But, concluding, he raised a question: do legislative authorities in fact act transparently and in the public interest?<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Governments are often portrayed as mere fa\u00e7ades, while the state itself is said to be run by hidden networks of bureaucrats and military men. This image, though widespread, is exaggerated. Political science instead offers the concept of the \u201cdeep state\u201d to analyse the existence of informal networks within the army, security services, and bureaucracy that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107,"featured_media":39827,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"format":"standard","override":[{"template":"1","single_blog_custom":"0","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"left-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"float","share_float_style":"share-normal","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"g:i a d\/m\/Y","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","post_calculate_word_method":"str_word_count","show_zoom_button":"1","zoom_button_out_step":"5","zoom_button_in_step":"4","show_post_tag":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_post_related":"1"}],"image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","disable_ad":"0","subtitle":"Once dominated by the Baath Party and Assad\u2019s security apparatus, Syria\u2019s state power has fractured into a web of militias, clerical networks, and foreign-backed structures that now shape decision-making behind the scenes."},"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_override_counter":{"view_counter_number":"0","share_counter_number":"0","like_counter_number":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"jnews_post_split":{"post_split":[{"template":"1","tag":"h2","numbering":"asc","mode":"normal","first":"0","enable_toc":"0","toc_type":"normal"}]},"footnotes":""},"categories":[430,19],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[390],"class_list":["post-39826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insights","category-slider"],"yoast_head":"\nRemaking Syria\u2019s Deep State: How Militias and Foreign Patrons Rewired the State\u00a0 - 963+<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Syria\u2019s deep state endures through militias, clerics, and foreign-backed networks, reshaping power and decision-making beyond formal institutions.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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