Salim Idris
{{Short description|Syrian military officer (born 1958)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| office = Defense Minister of the Syrian Interim Government
| term_start = 31 August 2019
| term_end = 15 November 2021
| predecessor = Jawad Abu Hatab
| successor = Hassan Hamada
| name = Salim Idris
| native_name = {{lang|ar|سلیم إدریس}}
| native_name_lang =
| image = Salim Idris Portrait.jpg
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| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1958}}
| death_date =
| birth_place = Al-Mubarakiya, Homs Governorate, Syria
| death_place =
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| allegiance = {{flag|Ba'athist Syria}}
(1979 – July 2012){{Clear}}23px Syrian National Coalition (December 2012–present)
| branch = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Syrian Arab Army.svg}} Syrian Army
(1979 – July 2012)
23px Free Syrian Army
(July 2012–2016){{Clear}} 23px Syrian National Army
(2016–2021)
| serviceyears = 1979–2021
| rank = Brigadier general (Syrian Army)
Major general
(Syrian opposition)
| servicenumber =
| unit = Corps of Engineers
| commands =
| battles = {{tree list}}
- Syrian Civil War
- Daraa offensive (February–May 2014)
- 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria
- Northwestern Syria offensive (December 2019–March 2020)
{{tree list/end}}
| awards =
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}}
Salim Idris ({{langx|ar|سلیم ادریس|Salīm Idrīs}}; born 1958){{Cite web|date=2019-10-21|title=National Army: A marriage of convenience, or a strategic asset?|url=https://english.enabbaladi.net/archives/2019/10/national-army-a-marriage-of-convenience-or-a-strategic-asset/|access-date=2020-06-30|website=Enab Baladi|language=en-US}} is a Syrian military officer and rebel leader. He served as the minister of defense of the Syrian Interim Government and chief of staff of the Supreme Military Council (SMC) of the Syrian National Army, a Syrian rebel faction.
He has a PhD in electrical engineering and speaks five languages, including English.[http://www.aljazeera.net/news/pages/9714f2ea-0663-4793-9d89-6737c88f35d8 رئيس أركان الجيش الحر سليم إدريس] An East German-trained electronics professor, he was a brigadier general in the Syrian Army when he defected in July 2012.{{cite web|title=Armed Conflict in Syria: Background and U.S. Response|url=https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL33487.pdf|work=Congressional Research Service|access-date=14 September 2013|author=Jeremy M. Sharp|author2=Christopher M. Blanchard |date=6 September 2013}} Idris is widely considered to represent the moderate elements of Syria's opposition, as armed opposition leaders under his leadership have subscribed to the pro-democracy Proclamation of Principles.{{cite web|url=http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/12/10/254251.html|title=Syrian Free Army names Salim Idris new chief of staff|access-date=19 December 2012|work=Al Arabiya News|date=10 December 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121217133631/http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/12/10/254251.html|archive-date=17 December 2012|df=dmy-all}}{{cite news|url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ap-interview-new-syrian-rebel-commander-very-afraid-regime-will-use-chemical-weapons/2012/12/19/17c8cff6-499a-11e2-8af9-9b50cb4605a7_story.html?wprss=rss_social-world-headlines |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190105201212/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/ap-interview-new-syrian-rebel-commander-very-afraid-regime-will-use-chemical-weapons/2012/12/19/17c8cff6-499a-11e2-8af9-9b50cb4605a7_story.html?wprss=rss_social-world-headlines |url-status= dead |archive-date= 5 January 2019 |title=AP Interview: New Syrian rebel commander 'very afraid' regime will use chemical weapons|access-date=19 December 2012|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=19 December 2012}}{{cite web|url= http://m.npr.org/news/World/181158423|title=Syrian rebel leader: We won't share U.S. arms with extremists|work=NPR}}{{cite web |url=http://www.irinnews.org/pdf/fsa_proclimation_of_principles.pdf|title=Free Syrian Army Proclamation of Principles|work=IRIN News}}
Military activities
Idris was elected as the Chief of Staff of the Supreme Military Council following its establishment in a conference held in Turkey on 15 December 2012. At the conference, over 550 members of the Syrian revolutionary council, brigades, and battalion commands elected 261 representatives to form the Revolutionary Force Authority. Thirty members were elected to form the SMC, which includes five combat Fronts covering Syria's 14 provinces.{{cite web|url=http://carnegie-mec.org/publications/?fa=50445|title=Statement on the Formation of the Supreme Military Council Command of Syria|work=Carnegie}}{{cite web |url= http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/The-Free-Syrian-Army-24MAR.pdf|title=The Free Syrian Army, Institute for the Study of War|work=Understanding War}}
In December 2013, Idris was initially reportedly driven out of his headquarters in northern Syria by the Islamic Front into exile in Doha, Qatar, but U.S. officials later said he was in Turkey throughout the incursion.{{cite web|url=https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304202204579252021900591220|title=Top U.S.-backed Commander in Syria Run Out, U.S. Officials Say|work=The Wall Street Journal|date=12 December 2013}} However, the FSA has denied that Idris has left Syria.{{cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/1.563189|title=Syrian rebels deny reports top commander forced to flee|publisher=Reuters|date=12 December 2013|access-date=12 December 2013}} A few days later, Syrian National Coalition (SNC) Chief of Staff Monzer Akbik said that Idris "has failed to make an institution, I don't think everything can continue in the same way."{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10521076/Salim-Idris-has-failed-as-leader-of-Syrian-rebels-coalition-says.html|title=Salim Idris has failed as leader of Syrian rebels, coalition says|publisher=The Daily Telegraph|date=16 December 2013|access-date=19 December 2013}}
Idris was removed from his position as Chief-of-Staff of the FSA's Supreme Military Council in an announcement on 16 February 2014. He was replaced with Brigadier General Abdul-Ilah al-Bashir.{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/02/free-syrian-army-fires-military-chief-201421742719901171.html |title=Free Syrian Army fires military chief - Middle East |publisher=Al Jazeera English |access-date=2014-02-17}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-26224498 |title=BBC News - Free Syrian Army replaces chief-of-staff Salim Idris |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=1970-01-01 |access-date=2014-02-17}}
Political activities
Idris has become increasingly engaged with soliciting aid from Western nations since his initial request of specialized training and non-lethal material support from the United States in February 2013.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/david-ignatius-what-path-now-for-syria/2013/02/12/69b233f2-754b-11e2-95e4-6148e45d7adb_story.html|title=What path now for Syria?|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=12 February 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216170125/http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-02-12/opinions/37054296_1_syrian-army-rebels-syrian-opposition-fighters|archive-date=16 December 2013|df=dmy-all}} On 30 April 2013 the United States began deliveries of ready-to-eat rations and Warrior Aid and Litter Kits (WALK) to the Free Syrian Army under the oversight of Idris, in what was the first U.S. delivery of tangible aid to Syria's armed opposition.{{cite web|url=http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/05/01/us_delivers_first_aid_shipment_to_free_syrian_army|title=U.S. delivers first aid shipment to Free Syrian Army|work=Foreign Policy|date=1 May 2013|access-date=10 June 2013|archive-date=10 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141010131320/http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/05/01/us_delivers_first_aid_shipment_to_free_syrian_army|url-status=dead}}
In May 2013, U.S. Senator John McCain crossed into Syria from Turkey to meet with Idris.{{cite news |title=White House was aware of McCain's trip to Syria in advance |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-crisis-mccain-obama/white-house-was-aware-of-mccains-trip-to-syria-in-advance-idUSBRE94R0LS20130528 |work=Reuters |date=28 May 2013}}{{cite news |title=McCain Meets With Rebels In Syria |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/05/27/186811709/mccain-meets-with-rebels-in-syria?t=1571906581069 |publisher=NPR |date=27 May 2013}}{{cite news |title=What Sen. John McCain was doing in Syria |url=https://theweek.com/articles/463930/what-sen-john-mccain-doing-syria |work=The Week |date=28 May 2013}} Idris has issued letters and statements to Secretary of State John Kerry, President Barack Obama, and the United Nations Security Council to encourage international intervention and support in the ongoing Syrian Civil War.{{cite web |url=http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/05/22/geneva_talks_in_jeopardy_rebels_demand_heavy_weapons_as_precondition |title=Peace talks in jeopardy: Rebels demand heavy weapons as precondition |access-date=10 June 2013 |archive-date=15 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915044104/http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/05/22/geneva_talks_in_jeopardy_rebels_demand_heavy_weapons_as_precondition |url-status=dead }}{{cite news|url=https://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-04-30/opinions/38928058_1_chemical-weapons-assad-syria|title=Frustrated by Obama's caution on Syria|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=30 April 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216170105/http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-04-30/opinions/38928058_1_chemical-weapons-assad-syria|archive-date=16 December 2013|df=dmy-all}}{{cite web |url= https://www.scribd.com/doc/138886330/Idris-Letter-to-Obama|title=Idris Letter to Obama}}{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/may/30/syrian-rebel-leader-cites-hezbollah-attack-town/|title=Syrian rebel leader cites Hezbollah in attack on town|website=The Washington Times }}{{cite news|url=http://ssgpolicyblog.wordpress.com/2013/06/05/general-idriss-letter-to-the-united-nations-security-council/|title=General Idris's Letter to the United Nations Security Council|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=30 May 2013}} In an 8 June 2013 interview with The New York Times, Idris outlined that continued international support for the Free Syrian Army, including "game-changing weapons," were required as a precondition for his attendance at planned negotiations with Bashar al-Assad in Geneva.{{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/09/world/middleeast/syria-opposition-wont-attend-talks-unless-rebels-get-arms-commander-says.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 |title=Syrian opposition to sit out any talks unless arms are sent, General says|work=The New York Times|date=9 June 2013}}
On 31 August 2019, Idris was appointed to the post of Minister of Defence of the Syrian Interim Government and was thus appointed as commander-in-chief of the Syrian National Army.{{Cite web|url=https://www.enabbaladi.net/509440/سليم-إدريس-يستقيل-من-منصبه-وزيرًا-للدف/ |title=سليم إدريس يستقيل من منصبه وزيرًا للدفاع في الحكومة “المؤقتة” |website=Enab Baladi|access-date=2025-03-18}} As such, he led the SNA into the 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria, alongside the Turkish Armed Forces.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aa.com.tr/fr/monde/en-syrie-l-armée-nationale-et-le-front-national-de-libération-se-sont-unifiés/1602539|title=En Syrie, "l'Armée Nationale" et "Le Front National de Libération" se sont unifiés|website=www.aa.com.tr|access-date=2019-10-14}} Idris stated that Turkey-backed Syrian rebels "stand in full force in support of our Turkish brothers in fighting all forms of terrorism represented by the PKK gangs."{{cite news |title=Syrian rebels vow to back any Turkish operation into northeast |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-security-rebels/syrian-rebels-vow-to-back-any-turkish-operation-into-northeast-idUSKBN1WJ1NJ |work=Reuters |date=4 October 2019}} He was replaced by Hassan Hamada on 15 November 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.syria.tv/خلفاً-لإدريس-العميد-حسن-حمادة-وزيراً-للدفاع-في-الحكومة-السورية-المؤقتة?amp |title=خلفاً لإدريس.. العميد حسن حمادة وزيراً للدفاع في الحكومة السورية المؤقتة |work=Syria.tv |date=15 November 2021 |access-date=18 March 2025 }}
References
{{Reflist|33em}}
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{{s-mil|}}
{{succession box |
|before=Riad al-Asaad
|title=Commander of the Free Syrian Army
|years= 8 December 2012 – 16 February 2014
|after=Abdul-Ilah al-Bashir
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Syrian civil war}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Idris, Salim}}
Category:Defectors to the Free Syrian Army
Category:People from Homs Governorate