On a Raid With Syria’s New Safety Forces

We’re in Latakia, driving with safety forces simply 10 days after the collapse of the Syrian authorities led by former President Bashar al-Assad. They inform us considered one of their missions right here is looking for and arrest members of the outdated regime. The larger objective, they are saying, is to safe a metropolis that till lately was an Assad household stronghold. We wished to see whether or not they would do it in a different way from their predecessors. We arrive at a home belonging to a former Syrian Military officer. Solely he isn’t the one being arrested. These two suspects in custody are former insurgent fighters. They’re, in principle, allies, a part of a coalition of teams that joined forces to overthrow the Assad regime. They’ve been concentrating on Assad’s military for years, however as we speak it’s landed them in hassle. We go inside to seek out out what occurred. All through our time with this safety unit, they insisted on their dedication to due course of, even when it means serving to a former enemy. The 2 fighters accused of looting are introduced again to base, to a posh which was beforehand the navy safety headquarters right here beneath Assad. Our guides have been desperate to name consideration to the legacy of the Assad authorities, considered one of systemic repression, brutality and torture. Simply down the corridor, the arrested fighters are about to change into prisoners right here too. Regardless of efforts to distinction themselves with the outdated regime, questions stay about whether or not new management can ship a extra equitable system of justice in a Syria grappling with the ghosts of its previous.