Have Foreign Fighters Become a Burden on the New Syria?

The Wall Street Journal has emphasized the urgent need for Syria’s new leaders to find a solution for the thousands of foreign fighters in their ranks, many of whom are believed to be involved in the recent wave of ethnic killings that has swept the country.

• Syrian Coast Events: Commitment to “Accountability” and Arrest of Suspects

• The Emir of the Turkestan Islamic Party Leads Fighters in Syria from Kabul… What’s the Story?

According to 24 News, as many as 10,000 fighters from across the Middle East, Europe, and Central Asia played a crucial role in toppling President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and now lend their support to the emerging Syrian government.

However, the newspaper argues that their radical interpretations of Islam have become a liability for Syria’s new leadership, which seeks to distance itself from an extremist past and work toward forming an inclusive government.

Mohammed Zafar, a 20-year-old Uzbek, embodies this dilemma. He entered Syria through Turkey in October to join Katibat al-Ghuraba, an Islamist group composed of fighters from Central Asia.

• After 13 Years… Syria Regains Its Seat at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation

• The U.S. Administration and Syria: Caution and Skepticism Towards the New Regime Led by Ahmad Al-Sharaa

Within weeks, he found himself on the frontlines of an offensive led by the Syrian rebel coalition Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.

Zafar relied on Uzbek field commanders who spoke Arabic to relay orders from Syrian rebel leaders during the rapid assault. Speaking in a blend of Uzbek, Turkish, and Arabic, he said: “I came here for jihad, and I will stay until martyrdom.” He added that he does not wish to return to Uzbekistan, fearing potential persecution: “I hope to stay here and settle.”

Now that the revolution has ended, Zafar hopes to join the new Syrian army and contribute to building a state based on Islamic governance.

• Syria Accuses Hezbollah of Carrying Out Attacks and Sponsoring Cross-Border Smuggling

• Syrian Kurds Plan to Empty Jihadist Camps by the End of the Year

However, the Islamic rule Zafar envisions is precisely what many Syrians hope to avoid, according to 24 News.

The United States, which has issued strict demands to Syria’s emerging authorities in recent weeks, wants assurances that foreign fighters will no longer be welcome in the new state.

On April 24, Tim Lenderking, a senior U.S. State Department official for Middle Eastern affairs, stated: “The transitional authorities must ensure that foreign terrorist fighters play no role in the Syrian government or military.”

In March, a series of ambushes targeting state security forces triggered revenge killings reportedly carried out by foreign fighters and other extremist militias aligned with the government along Syria’s coast.

• Al-Sharaa Pledges to Form an Inclusive Government in His First Speech to Syrians

• Security Chaos Returns to Syrian Regions… Hayat Tahrir al-Cham Members Top the List of Accused