Beyond the noise and fanfare, the Syrian Arab Army remains the safe haven for Syrian citizens, protecting them from their anxieties and fears for the country and its people.
Amidst the fires of remnants of the old regime and the flames of those who seek to divide the nation, this institution has proven itself to be more than just a military tool. It is the structural pillar that has prevented the collapse of the concept of "state" in the Syrian consciousness, even before it manifested on the ground.
The army and the Syrian president remain the guarantors against the country slipping into the abyss of division or polarization, and the lasting devastation that such a scenario could bring.
An objective reading of the Syrian reality confirms that preserving the centrality of the state and rallying around its leadership and army constitute an impenetrable barrier against the sectarian or ethnic "canton" projects that external forces have attempted to impose as an alternative reality.
The Military Institution: A Unifying Fabric
The role of the army cannot be understood in isolation from its composition, which represents the new Syria. It is the institution that has forged narrow affiliations into a single compass: "the homeland."
From this springs the citizen's reassurance regarding their army. He sees it as the only guarantee against transforming Syrian territory into an arena of conflict and settling scores between forces that do not recognize the state's borders and sovereignty.
Adherence to state institutions at this stage transcends the realm of military defense, reaching strategic dimensions that include preventing any attempt to entrench the lines of separation as permanent borders, providing the necessary environment for any national solution emanating from within Syria, free from external dictates, and establishing security as a fundamental basis for reviving the economy and restoring life to cities and villages.
The bet on the strength of the state and the cohesion of its army is a bet on the survival of a unified Syria, not a fragmented Syria. History proves that states that compromise their sovereign national institutions fall into the trap of open conflict, while Syria, with its army and leadership, remains steadfast in its unified identity despite the enormity of the challenges.
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