International coalition, postponed internal deal in Syria

Syria's joining the international coalition against terrorism is not merely a fleeting tactical move, but a weighty strategic gamble. It places President al-Sharaa in a minefield of internal challenges in Damascus, and puts the entire state to a historic test: can it move from a logic of dominance, spoils, and consolidation of power to one of building upon a new national social contract? Involvement in an international coalition of this magnitude compels the political system to redefine itself; from an authority besieged within a civil and regional conflict to a state striving to regain its legitimacy by contributing to the fight against a common global enemy whose name is cross-border terrorism. However, this new legitimacy cannot be derived from diplomatic statements alone; it requires profound structural reforms within the country that preserve the dignity, diversity, and self-determination of all Syrians within a unified homeland.

This gamble, it seems, hinges on two essential conditions for its success and internal fortification:

First, drafting a new constitution befitting a complex, pluralistic society where ethnicities, religions, sects, and cultures co-exist without any one group dominating the others. This constitution must break with the rigid, centralized state model established during the decades of Ba'athist rule, where the regime treated society as a monolithic entity governed from above, rather than as a tangled tapestry of free actors. The desired constitution should not merely proclaim equality in its pronouncements; it must redistribute powers between the central government and the regions, recognize collective rights alongside individual rights, and pave the way for forms of political and administrative decentralization, allowing diverse groups to see themselves as part of the state, not outside of it. In this way, the constitution becomes a pact of trust and mutual recognition, not simply an upper legal document.

Second, integrating the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the structure of the national army as well-organized and operational units, as these forces, numbering over 120,000 fighters, with women comprising more than 10 percent of their ranks, fought fierce battles against ISIS and crushed its presence in vast areas of the north and east. Today, they represent a military asset and field experience that no rational state can afford to squander. Integrating these forces into the official military establishment, within a clear vision for military reform, will contribute to two interconnected objectives; firstly, unifying the arm under a single legitimate authority, and secondly, strengthening the secularized orientation of the army, freeing it, as much as possible, from narrow sectarian and ideological loyalties, in addition to transforming it into a civic institution that represents and protects all components of society equally.

Between a new constitution that recognizes pluralism and transforms it into a source of strength, and a restructured national army that incorporates the expertise of the forces that fought terrorism on the ground, Syria's joining the international coalition can transform from a mere extrinsic marketing paper into a historic opportunity to rebuild the country on more just, stable, and secure foundations. Without these two structural measures, any international coalition will remain merely a shell covering the mines lurking deep within the state and society.

This article prepared by Saeed Nashid, a Moroccan thinker, researcher, and writer.

J.J