Free Officers Movement (Syria)

Not to be confused with the Free Officers Union, another Syrian rebel group in exile that joined the Syrian Democratic Forces in October 2016[1]
See also: Free Officers Movement (Egypt), Free Officers and Civilians Movement, and Libyan Arab Socialist Union

Free Officers Movement
حركة الضباط الأحرار
Harakat ad-Dubbat al-Ahrar
Leaders
Spokesperson
  • Lt. Col. Hussein Harmoush  (POW)[6][7]
  • 1st Lt. Bassim Al Khalid[8]
Dates of operation9 June 2011 – mid-2012 (part of the Free Syrian Army since 23 September 2011)
Split fromSyrian Armed Forces
Merged intoFree Syrian Army
Group(s)Khalid ibn al-Walid Battalion
Active regionsSyria
IdeologySyrian nationalism
Secularism[4]
AlliesSyrian opposition Free Syrian Army
Opponents
Battles and warsSyrian Civil War

The Free Officers Movement (Arabic: حركة الضباط الأحرار, Harakat ad-Dubbat al-Ahrar), also called the Free Officers Brigade (Arabic: لواء الضباط الاحرار, Liwa ad-Dubbat al-Ahrar) was a Syrian rebel group that operated during the early phase of the Syrian Civil War in 2011. The group consisted of defected officers and soldiers from the Syrian Armed Forces.

Unlike the Free Syrian Army led by Colonel Riad al-Asaad, which had links to the Muslim Brotherhood of Syria, the Free Officers Movement was a secular-leaning group.[4] The movement joined the FSA on 23 September 2011, but continued to operate under the name of the Free Officers Movement until mid-2012.[9]

  1. ^ "Hundreds of Syrian rebels join the pro-Kurdish SDF alliance". ARA News. 14 October 2016. Archived from the original on 16 October 2016.
  2. ^ Abouzeid, Rania (15 September 2011). "In Blow to Opposition, a Dissident Syrian Army Officer is Captured". Time.
  3. ^ Burch, Jonathon (7 October 2011). "Exclusive: War is only option to topple Syrian leader: colonel". Reuters.
  4. ^ a b c Hassan, Hassan (13 March 2013). "How the Muslim Brotherhood Hijacked Syria's Revolution". Foreign Policy.
  5. ^ "Mysterious disappearance of Syrian dissident Hussein Harmoush after meeting Turkey, a security official". Al-Arabiya. 7 September 2011.
  6. ^ "Syria army defector Hussein Harmoush in TV 'confession'". BBC. 16 September 2011.
  7. ^ "Mass Torture Photo is likely for Hussein Harmoush". Zaman al-Wasl. 1 February 2015.
  8. ^ "Free Officers in Syria: We have information indicating the execution of Hussein Harmoush". Day 7. 30 October 2011.
  9. ^ Albayrak, Ayla (5 October 2011). "Turkey Is Adding Pressure on Damascus". Wall Street Journal.