Afif Suleiman

Afif Mahmoud Suleiman was born in the village of Maasaran in the Idlib Governorate in 1966. He served in an electronic insurance brigade of the Syrian Arab Air Force with the rank of colonel until he announced his defection from Syrian government forces on 26 October 2011 or 6 January 2012 in the Hama Governorate, along with 30 of his soldiers. His defection was broadcast on Al Jazeera Mubasher and he said that he pleaded with the Arab League to visit mass graves inside Syria but his pleas were ignored.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/middle-east-live/2012/jan/06/syria-protests-as-arab-league-mission-continues|title=Syria: Damascus 'suicide attack' - Friday 6 January|work=The Guardian|date=6 January 2012}}

After his defection, Suleiman commanded the Abu al-Fida Battalion of the Free Syrian Army in the area between Hama and Idlib. He then moved further north into Idlib around Maarat al-Nu'man, established the Northern Shield Battalion alongside 5 other defected officers on 21 February 2012,{{cite web|url=https://creativememory.org/en/archives/208011/defection-of-colonel-afif-suleiman-with-a-number-of-officers-and-soldiers/|title=Defection Of Colonel Afif Suleiman With A Number Of Officers And Soldiers|work=Creative Memory of the Syrian Revolution|date=21 February 2012}} and in early or mid-April he established the Idlib Military Council. According to Joseph Holliday of the Institute for the Study of War, Suleiman's council gained the support of about 70% of rebel groups in the governorate at the time of its establishment.{{sfn|Holliday|2012|p=23}}

On the day following the Houla massacre of 25 May 2012, Suleiman declared the end of the United Nations-brokered Syrian ceasefire and announced that his group would resume attacks against government forces.{{sfn|Holliday|2012|p=18}} His fighters shot down a Syrian Air Force MiG-21 as it took off from Abu al-Duhur Military Airbase on 30 August.

By September 2012, the Idlib Military Council and other FSA military councils had been receiving supplies of weapons and funding from Saudi Arabia and Qatar through a control room in Istanbul, Turkey. Lebanese Future Movement politician Okab Sakr oversaw the allocations of supplies to different rebel groups from the control room. Suleiman accused Sakr of favoring several groups within the Idlib Military Council, including Jamal Maarouf's Syrian Martyrs' Brigades, which reportedly held a neutral view of the Muslim Brotherhood. This, according to Suleiman, created a rift within the Idlib Military Council, and he requested his Saudi allies to confirm no aid except through the military councils, and they promised to do so.{{cite magazine|url=https://world.time.com/2012/09/18/syrias-secular-and-islamist-rebels-who-are-the-saudis-and-the-qataris-arming/|title=Syria's Secular and Islamist Rebels: Who Are the Saudis and the Qataris Arming?|magazine=Time|author=Rania Abouzeid|date=18 September 2012}} Suleiman said in early 2013 that it was clear he and his Idlib Military Council had no control over rebel groups in the region, and that he had little to offer these groups other than nominal organization and occasional supplies of weapons and ammunition.{{cite magazine|url=https://world.time.com/2013/03/05/syrias-many-militias-inside-the-chaos-of-the-anti-assad-rebellion/2/|title=Syria's Many Militias: Inside the Chaos of the Anti-Assad Rebellion|magazine=Time|author=Rania Abouzeid|date=5 March 2013}}

Suleiman and other rebel military council leaders, who were applauded by United States officials,{{cite news|url=https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/syrian-rebels-cross-purposes|title=Syrian Rebels at Cross Purposes|newspaper=The Washington Post|author=David Ignatius|date=23 November 2012}} and supported by the US{{cite web|url=https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/syria-civil-war-bashar-al-assad-rebels-ambassador-robert-ford-news-18666/|title=What Went Wrong in Syria?|work=Fair Observer|author1=Athanasios Dimadis|author2=Robert Stephen Ford|date=21 December 2017}} attended a 3-day conference of the Syrian National Council and other Syrian opposition groups in Doha, Qatar, that resulted in the formation of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, commonly referred to as the Syrian National Coalition or the Syrian Opposition Coalition, in early November 2012.{{cite web|url=https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/world/article24739630.html|title=Syrian opposition group tells U.S. to stay out of internal politics|work=McClatchy|date=1 November 2012}} Robert Stephen Ford, who served as the US ambassador to Syria from 2010 to 2014, claimed that Suleiman, Abdul Jabbar al-Oqaidi, and other military council leaders denounced sectarianism within rebel ranks in 2012 and 2013, but began cooperating with sectarian Islamist groups including al-Qaeda's al-Nusra Front in order to fight government forces despite Ford's and other US officials' concerns.

On 9 December 2013, Suleiman's Idlib Military Council joined with other groups including Jamal Maarouf's Syria Martyrs’ Brigades, the Idlib Martyrs' Brigade, and the Farouq Battalions of Hama to form the Syrian Revolutionaries Front as a counter to the recently formed Islamic Front, which had captured the Supreme Military Council's warehouses containing foreign-supplied weapons at Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing three days earlier.{{cite web|author=Aron Lund|url=http://carnegie-mec.org/syriaincrisis/?fa=53910|title=The Syria Revolutionaries' Front|work=Carnegie Middle East Center|date=13 December 2013|accessdate=16 September 2014}}

In early 2014, Suleiman was one of the rebel leaders who oversaw the offensive that led to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's withdrawal from the Idlib Governorate.{{cite web|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/syrian-rebel-commanders-to-address-ambassador-fords-statements-262534981.html|title=Syrian Rebel Commanders To Address Ambassador Ford's Statements|work=Syrian American Council via Cision PR Newswire|date=10 June 2014}} Following ISIL's victory in the Northern Iraq offensive (June 2014), Suleiman said that he was concerned ISIL would use the funding and heavy weapons they seized in Iraq to launch a counter-offensive against the rebels in Syria.{{cite web|url=https://www.ibtimes.com/what-isis-syria-based-jihadi-group-took-over-mosul-1598682|title=What Is ISIS, The Syria-Based Jihadi Group That Took Over Mosul?|work=International Business Times|author=Erin Banco|date=11 June 2014}} He then via Skype at a panel discussion in Washington, D.C., on 12 June requested weapons from the US in order to fight ISIL.{{cite web|url=https://www.dailysabah.com/mideast/2014/06/13/syrian-opposition-needs-lethal-aid-to-defeat-isil|title=Syrian opposition needs lethal aid to defeat ISIL|work=Anadolu Agency|date=13 June 2014}} Two days later, on 14 June, Suleiman along with 8 other FSA military council commanders, all colonels or lieutenant colonels, resigned from their councils due to the lack of funding.{{cite web|url=http://syrianobserver.com/EN/News/27392/Military+Council+Leaders+Resign|title=Military Council Leaders Resign|work=Syrian Observer|date=16 June 2014|access-date=11 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180811032249/http://syrianobserver.com/EN/News/27392/Military+Council+Leaders+Resign|archive-date=11 August 2018|url-status=dead}}

At one point prior to September 2014, Suleiman was detained in King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, refused entry into Saudi Arabia, had his Syrian passport confiscated, and was told to collect it at the Syrian government's administration in Aleppo.{{cite web|url=https://en.zamanalwsl.net/news/article/6809/|title=Assad regime traps Syrian people abroad via Interpol|work=Zaman al-Wasl|date=27 September 2014}}

On 31 July 2019, Suleiman and his son were arrested by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham's security force at a checkpoint at the Ghazawiya crossing near Darat Izza as they were driving from Afrin District to the northern Idlib Governorate. Suleiman was detained in HTS's Oqab Prison in Jabal Zawiya,{{cite web|url=https://www.enabbaladi.net/archives/318495|title=Accusations of "Tahrir al-Sham" arresting the leader of the "Free Idlib Army"|work=Enab Baladi|date=1 August 2019}} and released two days later.{{Cite web|url=https://www.jesrpress.com/2019/08/02/%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%84-%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%A6%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%AA%D8%B7%D9%84%D9%82-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AD-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AF-%D8%AC%D9%8A/|title=Urgent: HTS releases the leader of the Free Army of Idlib. Colonel Afif Suleiman, commander of the Free Army of Idlib, was released two days after his arrest at one of its checkpoints.|work=Jesr Press|date=2 August 2019|access-date=20 October 2021|archive-date=27 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127145644/https://www.jesrpress.com/2019/08/02/%d8%b9%d8%a7%d8%ac%d9%84-%d9%87%d9%8a%d8%a6%d8%a9-%d8%aa%d8%ad%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b4%d8%a7%d9%85-%d8%aa%d8%b7%d9%84%d9%82-%d8%b3%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%ad-%d9%82%d8%a7%d8%a6%d8%af-%d8%ac%d9%8a/|url-status=dead}}

Suleiman has been the subject of criticism and condemnation among opposition circles following the end of the northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–March 2020). A source told Step News Agency that he demobilized fighters of the Free Idlib Army who were killed in combat in order to avoid paying financial support to their families, and did not send reinforcements to the frontlines during the offensive, instead moving himself and the rest of the Free Idlib Army's leadership north to Jindires in Afrin away from the fighting. The same source accused him of providing fake lists of fighters to his backers, mainly Turkey, and hoarding millions of dollars worth of money he obtained by corrupt activities including stealing and selling truckloads of food Turkey sends to the Free Idlib Army.

In response to these accusations and to Suleiman's replacement of the Free Idlib Army leadership to exclude members of the Mountain Hawks Division, the Mountain Hawks stated on 13 May that they no longer recognized Suleiman as their commander, and demanded that he be court martialed for treason.{{cite web|url=https://www.baladi-news.com/public/index.php/ar/articles/60532/%D9%81%D8%B5%D9%8A%D9%84-%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B6-%D9%8A%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8-%D8%A8%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%83%D9%85%D8%A9-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AF%D9%87|title=Opposition faction demands the trial of its leader!|work=Baladi News Network|date=13 May 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.syriahr.com/en/164597/|title=Dissidence signs - Quarrels disturb "Free Idlib Army", while commanders demanding the leader get court-martial|work=Syrian Observatory for Human Rights|date=13 May 2020}}

On 18 August 2020, Shaam News Network obtained a document signed by Suleiman which decreed that a group of Free Idlib Army fighters stationed on the Latakia front were have their salaries reduced by LS 50,000 as a fine for the loss of three blankets and two sponges.{{cite web|url=http://www.shaam.org/news/syria-news/%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AF-%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B4-%D8%A5%D8%AF%D9%84%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B1-%D9%8A%D8%BA%D8%B1%D9%85-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%80-50-%D8%A3%D9%84%D9%81-%D9%84%D9%81%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87%D9%85-%D8%A8%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%AC%D8%A8%D9%87%D8%A9-%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%87%D9%85.html|title=The commander of the "Free Idlib" army fined the Murabites with 50 thousand for losing blankets on the front of their band...!!|work=Shaam News Network|date=18 August 2020}} This sparked outrage and Step News Agency further claimed that Suleiman intended to move his entire force to the Turkish-occupied region to the north and punished those who stayed in Idlib.{{cite web|url=https://stepagency-sy.net/2020/08/18/%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AF-%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B4-%D8%A5%D8%AF%D9%84%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B1-%D8%B9%D9%81%D9%8A%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86/|title=For destroying blankets and sponges, the commander of the Free Idlib Army, Afif Al-Sulaiman, fined his fighters, causing anger and dissent|work=Step News Agency|date=18 August 2020}}

In an interview with Enab Baladi in March 2021, Suleiman said that 1,400 Free Idlib Army fighters have been killed by that time, and that only families of killed fighters were who married are paid, in amounts of TL 100–150 per month.{{cite web|url=https://www.enabbaladi.net/archives/470057|title=Idlib.. Disengagement from the factions deprives the families of their dead of financial grants|work=Enab Baladi|date=29 March 2021}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book|last=Holliday|first=Joseph|date=21 June 2012|title=Syria's Maturing Insurgency|volume=5|issue=Middle East Security Report|publisher=Institute for the Study of War|url=http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/Syrias_MaturingInsurgency_21June2012.pdf}}

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Category:Members of the Free Syrian Army

Category:Syrian Air Force personnel

Category:1966 births

Category:Syrian Sunni Muslims

Category:People from Idlib Governorate

Category:Living people

Category:Syrian National Army

Category:Syrian colonels