Exiles of dictator Bashar al-Assad from Russia are funding an uprising in Syria, competing for weapons and influence - Reuters

Former Syrian intelligence chief Kamal Hassan and Bashar al-Assad's billionaire cousin, Rami Makhlouf, both in exile in Moscow, are spending millions of dollars to create rival combat forces with the aim of inciting an uprising along the Syrian coast. This was revealed by a Reuters investigation, UNN writes.

Details

Two men once closest to the overthrown dictator Bashar al-Assad – Major General Kamal Hassan and billionaire Rami Makhlouf – are competing to form militias composed of members of their minority Alawite sect, which has been a pillar of the Assad regime. In total, these groups are funding over 50,000 potential fighters, hoping to win their loyalty and regain lost influence.

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One of the key goals for both exiles is control over a network of 14 underground command rooms and weapons caches that were built late in the dictator's reign.

Faction documents show that Hassan claims to control 12,000 fighters, while Makhlouf claims at least 54,000. However, commanders on the ground report that fighters are taking money from both sides, and the exiles have not yet mobilized any forces.

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The conspirators envision a fractured plan for Syria, with each seeking to control Alawite-majority areas.

• Kamal Hassan (former head of military intelligence) in voice messages outlines "grand visions of how he will rule coastal Syria."
• Rami Makhlouf portrays himself as a "messianic figure who will return to power after the start of an apocalyptic final battle."

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The new Syrian government, in turn, is engaging another former Assad supporter, Khaled al-Ahmad, to neutralize the conspirators and convince Alawites that their future is with the new Syria.

Researcher Annsar Shahhoud called it "a continuation of the Assad regime's power struggle." At the same time, the governor of the coastal region of Tartus, Ahmed al-Shami, stated that the Syrian authorities are aware of the plans and are confident that the uprising will not succeed, "given their lack of powerful tools on the ground and weak capabilities."

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