Syria Formulates New Comprehensive Security Roadmap

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (SANA)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (SANA)
TT

Syria Formulates New Comprehensive Security Roadmap

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (SANA)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (SANA)

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad chaired a meeting for commanders of the security apparatus in the army and the armed forces to formulate a comprehensive security roadmap.
The chief of the National Security Office and the Security Affairs Advisor in the Presidency General Secretariat attended the meeting.
The presidency said in a statement that the meeting focused on the expected impact of restructuring the security sector and fortifying coordination between different security agencies.
It also addressed the development of counter-terrorism tools.
The presidency added that the meeting formulated a comprehensive security roadmap that aligns with strategic visions to address international, regional, and domestic challenges and risks, ensuring a profound impact on the nation's security, citizens, and the armed forces.
Assad emphasized the proactive and preventative roles that security agencies must play in the fight against terrorist organizations.
The meeting also stressed the need to maintain continuous surveillance and tracking of cells attempting to undermine the nation's security and safety.
The meeting comes a few days after unofficial Syrian media reported sudden security changes targeting sensitive security institutions in Syria.
According to unofficial information, Major General Ali Mamlouk was appointed a presidential advisor for security affairs, and Major General Kifah al-Moulhim was appointed head of the National Security Office.
Major General Kamal Hassan was appointed head of the Military Intelligence Division, succeeding Moulhim.
Conflicting reports addressed the transfer of Mamlouk, whether it was a decision to remove or promote him.
Russian "Sputnik" agency reported, quoting a Syrian security source, that the appointment of Moulhim as head of the National Security Office to succeed Mamlouk came after the latter's illness and admission to the hospital.
According to the information, these changes come as part of Damascus's efforts to restructure its security and political forces.
Unofficial sources also indicated that the security services became warring powers during the war.
However, this clashed with Damascus's rapprochement with Arab countries, as it hindered the activation of the Arab initiative and the step-for-step approach to reconstructing the regime with the Arab system.



UN's Syria Envoy Calls for 'Free And Fair Elections' after Transition

A man lifts an independence-era Syrian flag as passengers disembark in Aleppo, after the first commercial flight since Assad's ouster - AFP
A man lifts an independence-era Syrian flag as passengers disembark in Aleppo, after the first commercial flight since Assad's ouster - AFP
TT

UN's Syria Envoy Calls for 'Free And Fair Elections' after Transition

A man lifts an independence-era Syrian flag as passengers disembark in Aleppo, after the first commercial flight since Assad's ouster - AFP
A man lifts an independence-era Syrian flag as passengers disembark in Aleppo, after the first commercial flight since Assad's ouster - AFP

United Nations special envoy Geir Pedersen called Wednesday for "free and fair elections" in Syria and urged humanitarian assistance to the war-torn country after Bashar al-Assad's ouster this month.

Addressing reporters in Damascus, Pedersen said "there is a lot of hope that we can now see the beginning of a new Syria", which he expressed hope would also include a "political solution" in the Kurdish-held northeast.

The UN envoy called for "a new Syria that, in line with Security Council Resolution 2254, will adopt a new constitution... and that we will have free and fair elections when that time comes, after a transitional period."

Resolution 2254, adopted in 2015 at the height of the civil war, set out a roadmap for a political settlement in Syria, according to AFP.

After opposition factions captured Damascus on December 8 and toppled Assad's rule, Pedersen expressed his hope the Syrians can rebuild their country and that "the process to end sanctions" imposed under the former government could begin.

"We need immediate humanitarian assistance, but we also need to make sure that Syria can be rebuilt, that we can see economic recovery," he said.

Pedersen noted that "one of the biggest challenges is the situation in the northeast", amid fears of a major escalation between the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Türkiye-backed armed groups.

Türkiye accuses the main component of the SDF, the People's Protection Units (YPG), of being affiliated with Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants at home, whom both Washington and Ankara consider a "terrorist" group.

The United States said on Tuesday it had brokered an extension to a fragile ceasefire in the flashpoint town of Manbij and was seeking a broader understanding with Türkiye.

"I'm very pleased that the truce has been renewed and that it seems to be holding, but hopefully we will see a political solution to that issue," Pedersen said.