Syria’s Transactional State: How the Conflict Changed the Syrian State’s Exercise of Power

[TomSea]

Syria’s Transactional State: How the Conflict Changed the Syrian State’s Exercise of Power
10 October 2018

The Syrian regime has become increasingly reliant on profiteers and external actors – specifically, Russia and Iran – pursuing their own interests.

Summary

    The Syrian conflict has changed the functions, capacity and agency of the principal institutions through which the state exercises control, namely the security agencies and the army. This has transformed Syria from a ‘shadow state’ dominated by the security apparatus into a ‘transactional state’ dominated by regime-aligned profiteers.

    President Bashar al-Assad’s rise to power weakened the system of control that had been installed by his late father, Hafez al-Assad. The system had been reliant on a network of power brokers – both inside and outside state institutions – who would compete with one another to show regime loyalty. The Syrian conflict has further weakened this system, as the regime has become increasingly reliant on profiteers and external actors – specifically, Russia and Iran – pursuing their own interests.

Read more at: https://www.chathamhouse.org/publication/syrias-transactional-state-how-conflict-changed-syrian-states-exercise-power#