The International Alliance announced last Sunday that it is working on forming a 30,000-strong security force of the "Syrian Democratic Forces" to deploy on the Syrian border with Turkey and Iraq, while the project does not include Manbij, Afrin and other areas of SDF west of the Euphrates River.

Although the US Defense Department confirmed on Thursday that the US-trained forces in northeastern Syria were not a "new army" or a traditional border guard, but intended to provide protection to refugees, the information obtained by NSO from field sources indicated that "Autonomous Administration" Which is dominated by the Democratic Union Party (PYD), is working on coaxing tribesmen and clans in the province of Hassakeh with monthly salaries, in addition to exempting them from forced recruitment in these areas and ensuring that they are not on the battlefields by limiting their service to the areas they belong to

The authorities of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) began about two weeks ago to establish Asayish forces, which depends on the strength of the tribesmen, to spread along the border with Turkey to the north, along the line of deployment of "Assad forces" to the south, as declared by "PYD" authorities on Wednesday, the start of the first military course in the first regiment formed in the city of Raqqa under the name "Martyr Fayyad Shibli" regiment, which has the number of fighters 234 members, said they belong to different components of the region, as they put it.

 

* Commercial deal, its commodity is the tribesmen

According to the information received by NSO, hundreds of Arab youth recently joined these groups after being informed by tribal and influential men that their mission would be to guard and protect the areas they belonged to, where the coalition declaration stated that the United States had begun training about 230 members as a first stage, with the aim of forming a force of 30 thousand members.

A member of the Shummar tribe in the eastern province of Hassakeh, Sattam al-Sarhan established a special camp for newly enlisted Arab tribesmen and assigned them to military and ideological courses that are similar to those of the Democratic Union Party (PYD). The new camp included about 200 young men who were "contracted" for one year and nine months, for a monthly salary of up to (115 thousand Syrian pounds).

NSO reporter met with one of the members of this group, who said that they completed the 45-day training course. He added that about 300 fighters from the Sha'itat clan belonged to Ahmed al-Jarba's elite forces, they joined them a few days ago, which made the number of the camp's fighters 500. Sarhan has been a close official of the YPG since its control of the region in 2014, where he was responsible for protecting a number of oil wells and associated facilities in the line extending south of Rumailan oil town to the vicinity of Tel Koger ( al-Ya'arubiah ) on Iraqi borders, according to annual contracts with the "PYD", but these contracts ended by the end of 2017.

PYD stipulated that Al-Sarhan should recruit a number of young men within the Asayish forces, in return for renewing contracts to protect the oil wells. He informed the residents that the tasks of the members are to protect the nearby area at the Iraqi border and to protect the borders of al-Ya'arubiah city, in addition to coaxing them with high salaries.

PYD authorities have also been in contact with other tribal figures in Hassakeh province, where NSO has been briefed on the content of a similar agreement made by the Asayish leaders with Abdul Aziz al-Aish of the Jawwalah clan, which has recruited 300 young men, most of whom are members of his tribe after several rounds and meetings with the youth of the region and made them choose between joining his new formation to protect their areas and receive a monthly salary, or compulsory recruitment in the ranks of the "Autonomous Defense Forces" and go to the front lines.

 

* Local fighters to protect their areas or aspirations of "PYD" beyond that?

The agreement, according to which the young men joined these forces, is limited to defending their areas of residence. The Sarhan group was initially informed that their duties would be confined to the vicinity of al-Ya'arubiah area, While the group "al-Aish" that they will remain in the areas of the presence of the "Jawwalah" clan.

The sources reported that the military leaders of the "Asayish" met with the young men recruited by "Abdul Aziz al-Aish," in the "Mafraq Tobiz" region in Qamishli countryside, informing them that the duration of their contracts are one year and nine months, including a first training phase of 40 days, they may be sent to any area, in Syria, to Idlib, Deir al-Zour or any other place decided by the military command.

The source, who attended the meeting, said one of the leaders informed the youths that they would be treated as "Autonomous Defense" associates, who could be discharged after the expiration of their contracts or renewed as needed for up to three years.

These instructions contravene what the young men agreed with al-Ayish, most of whom objected to the fact that they had joined in order to protect their areas only, without participating in any military campaign carried out by the "People's Protection Units". al-Ayish informed them that they were directly affiliated with the Jawwalah clan and protecting its areas of deployment and other Arab tribal areas east of Hassakeh. However, the military delegation informed them that they are affiliated to the Asayish forces, confirming that there were no military forces belonging to the Jawwalah tribe, or any other.

NSO reporter added that Asayish leaders told the youth during the meeting that the deployment of the members in training camps within their areas of residence is only a temporary measure. They will then be transferred to sites that could witness clashes and battles, both on the Syrian border with Iraq and with Turkey, or in areas of deployment of the forces of the regime, and a fighter from "Sattam Sarhan" group, that leaders in the "Asayish" also informed them after the end of the qualification course.

According to the same source, the meeting ended with the resignation of the formation collected by "al-Aayish" accusing him of "fraud and cajolery to win the military leadership at the expense of the members of his clan by engaging them in battles that do not concern them".

 

* An outlet to evade "forced recruitment" and doubts about "PYD" intentions

The views of young Arabs about their recruitment into these forces differed, according to NSO reporter in Hassakeh. Some considered it an alternative to compulsory service imposed by the PYD authorities since the beginning of 2015. Some of them do not mind joining these groups as long as they have a good financial return and exempt them from compulsory service and going to the front lines.

On the other hand, Ahmed al-Khalaf one of the people of the region who first joined the formation of Abdul Aziz al-Ayish and later left him, is citing with what happened to Ahmed Osman al-'Abdallah, saying that he was a former security official in the ranks of ISIS, before concluding a deal with YPG, Allowed him to return to his village in Ya'aruibiah countryside and then asked him to form a small faction and to go to the fronts of Deir al-Zour, in exchange for amnesty, and they did not meet the agreement with him.

With increasing Turkish pressure on the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the advancing of Assad forces from its southern regions, and the high tone of the threat between the two sides, the indicators suggest the desire of the Democratic Union Party "PYD" to support its troops as many Arab members as possible, and work to establish the formations to deploy along Its borders, that's appeared clearly after the last statements of the International Alliance on its intention to form a force affiliated to "SDF" of 30 thousand fighters for deployment on the Syrian border with Turkey and Iraq on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River.

The Democratic Union Party (PYD) areas extend through the Iraqi border from the north of Albukamal city east of Deir al-Zour to the city of al-Malikya in Hassakeh countryside, along the Syrian-Turkish border, from the Malikya to the city of Kobani in Aleppo countryside, while adjacent to the south, forces of the regime along the Euphrates River from the eastern countryside of Aleppo to the Iraqi border, in addition to the area of Afrin and other areas in the northern countryside of Aleppo.