(Naharnet-Lebanon) President Bashar Assad's regime has put together a new paramilitary force of men and women, some trained by Iran, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Monday. The force, dubbed the National Defense Army, gathers together existing popular committees of pro-regime civilian fighters under a new, better-trained and armed hierarchy. The popular committees were originally formed to protect pro-regime neighborhoods from rebels.
2013-01-22 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive