Security

By establishing compulsory military service and creating an expansive pool from which to draw reservists, Syria’s Conscription Law makes military service a central element of the relationship between the Syrian state and the civilian population.

Idlib’s civil society and governance structures are threatened by the potential resurgence of conflict, which has been kept at bay via a tenuous ceasefire negotiated in September 2018, the deterioration of which may result in humanitarian disaster and give rise to a new wave of jihadist activity.

By furthering an all-encompassing definition of terrorism, the Syrian regime equips itself with a legal tool that can be interpreted broadly as criminalizing not only horrific acts of terrorism but also peaceful human rights activity and dissent.

Legislative Decree No. 18 of 2018, which grants general amnesty to certain individuals accused of deserting or avoiding military service, was issued on October 9, 2018, by President Bashar al-Assad.

The strikes on Syria by the U.S., France, and the U.K. will make it less likely for its regime to use chemical weapons. They also represent a setback for Iran.