ABSTRACT
This article explores how rebel groups come into being and how they sustain their activities. Its core premise is that the strategies used in rebel recruitment are crucial for such organisations. Knowing how rebel groups attract members will tell us why they are strong and, by extension, who is getting the upper hand in violent domestic conflicts. Drawing on empirical findings from the Syrian civil war, the article unpacks strategic choices in rebel recruitment: successful rebel groups benefit from the recruitment of combat-ready fighters (warriors) at the time of their inception and of high-commitment rebels (saints) amid sustained insurgent activities.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1. See, for instance, the announcements (in Arabic) of General Manaf Tlass, a prominent former regime figure and personal friend of Bashar al-Assad (www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlEDWc0C65k), Brigadier General Tayyar Mohammed Yahya Bitar (www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRWtrsstUf8), and Colonel Zubaida al-Meeqi, the first female Alawite officer to break ranks with the Assad regime (www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf8uW3goIaI#t=10).
2. See, for instance, a CNN report at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=−7oOH-N35is (last accessed: 12 April 2020).
3. See the YouTube report on the side-switching of Colonel Abdul Jabbar al-Okaidi, a prominent figure in the FSA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DCxcQlpGu0, last accessed: 12 April 2020).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Holger Albrecht
Holger Albrecht is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Alabama. His research interests include civil-military relations, violent conflict, authoritarian regime dynamics, and public opinion research in the Middle East and North Africa.