Syrian opposition

  

Syrian opposition المعارضة السورية (Arabic) al-Muʻaraḍatu s-Sūrīyah
Flag
Status	Political opposition
Capital	Damascus (claimed) Azaz
Largest city	Damascus (claimed)
Official languages	Arabic
Demonym(s)	Syrian
Government	Unitary Ba'athist provisional government
Legislature	Revolutionary Council
Establishment
• Establishment	11 March 2009
Currency	Syrian pound, Egyptian pound
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
Driving side	right
Calling code	+963
ISO 3166 code	[[ISO 3166-2:SY|SY]]

The Syrian opposition (Arabic: المعارضة السورية al-Muʻaraḍatu s-Sūrīyah) is a political structure represented by the Syrian National Coalition and the Syrian Revolutionary Command Council and coalition of several Ba'athist and anti-western political and military organizations that serves as an alternative government to the current western-backed state in Syria and present holds significant territorial control over much of the country, in particular in northern Syria.

The modern and current Syrian opposition was formed in 2009 by several Ba'athist and anti-government officials and militant leaders including surviving personnel of the deposted Syrian Arab Republic that preceded the Second Syrian Republic, as a means of organizing Ba'athist elements to aid in the overthrow of the central government and the re-establishment of the Syrian Arab Republic. Prior to 2009, the term "Syrian opposition" and "opposition" refered to several insurgent groups, paramilitary organizations, terrorist elements and even civilian political activists and activist organizations that opposed the western-backed Syrian government, but were not connected or affiliated with one another. Said elements consisted of neo-Ba'athists, Islamist extremists, and secular pro-democracy and anti-corruption elements, however the Ba'athist elements were able to organize into a more unified fighting force and were formally established on 11 March 2009.

The Syrian opposition first garnered attention in July after the emergence of the Syrian Arab Army was publicised and where it declared both its insurgency against the Syrian government and was formally part of the Syrian opposition, a claim that the opposition backed up. Throughout the 2010s, the opposition grew and garnered more armed groups and militias with the Revolutionary Command Council acting as the official chain of command to organize all of their combined military forces. Since its inception, the opposition has largely been centered in northern Syria where its politics generally favor it and the former regime. The Syrian National Coalition serves as the political arm of the opposition which conducts foreign policy and domestic policy to help build legitimacy and garner international recognition and material support. The Revolutionary Command Council oversees all military forces and activities to overthrow the western government and install a new one.

Internationally, the Syrian opposition is recognized by the several socialist states such as the United Commonwealth, the United People's Committees, Egypt, Libya, and other members of the Organization for Mutual Economic Assistance and Development as a legitimate political entity and representatives of the Syrian people while it is classified as a terrorist organization by the Conference of American States, the European Community, the Central Treaty Organization, and most members of the African Union along with the government of Syria.

Political groups

Syrian National Coalition

Main article: Syrian National Coalition

Political parties

See also: List of political parties in Syria

Military forces

Main article: Syrian Revolutionary Command Council

See also

• Belligerents in the Syrian Civil War
• List of political parties in Syria