The Syrian Republican Guard is a 10,000 man bodyguard of the Syrian Army. They are a single armored division used to protect the capital, Damascus from any domestic threats. The Guard is the only Syrian military unit allowed within the capital.

The guard was formed in 1976 when anti-Syrian Palestinian groups launched attacks on Syria. The Republican Guard is used mostly to protect top Syrian government officials from any external threats. It is rumored that in order to maintain loyalty to the Syrian regime, officers of the Republican Guard receive revenue from Syrian oil fields. Many members of the Assad family have served in the Republican Guard. Bashar al-Assad was a Colonel, and was given control of a brigade. His younger brother Maher is also a Colonel in the Republican Guard. The Republican Guard has seen much action against Islamist groups in recent years.

References and Sources

1. ^ International Institute for Strategic Studies, The Military Balance 2006, p.208-9

2. ^ Richard Bennett, The Syrian Military: A Primer,[358538] MEIB Bulletin, Vol. 3, No. 8, August/September 2001

3. ^ Norman Schwarzkopf, It Doesn't Take A Hero, Bantam Books, 1993, p.467-9

Further reading

• Kenneth M. Pollack, Arabs at War: Military Effectiveness 1948-91, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln and London, 2002, and Pollack's book reviewed in International Security, Vol. 28, No.2.