Syria's Assad says army faces manpower shortfall but vows to win war
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 26 July 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Syria's Assad says army faces manpower shortfall but vows to win war, 26 July 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/55ee960c15.html [accessed 4 November 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
July 26, 2015
Syria's embattled President Bashar al-Assad has acknowledged that the Syrian Army faces a shortfall in manpower and had to give up some areas in the ongoing civil war.
However, Assad said the army was capable of defending the nation and vowed to win the war.
In a televised speech, Assad said on July 26 that "there is a lack of human resources" in the army "but that doesn't mean we can talk about collapse."
A shortage of young men has prompted Syria to rely on recruiting loyalist militias in state-controlled provinces.
The regular army's numbers have shrunk sharply to 200,000 from 350,000 before the war, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Assad said the army had to give up some areas of Syria due to military priorities.
He said that "it was necessary to specify critical areas for our armed forces to hang on to. Concern for our soldiers forces us to let go of some areas."
In a bid to help bolster the ranks of the army, Assad announced an amnesty on July 25 for army deserters who have violated the compulsory military conscription law.
Assad also said he supported any political dialogue to end the war, even if it had a limited impact on resolving the crisis.
Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
