Syria seeks to integrate myriad paramilitaries
The Syrian government faces a "what now?" dilemma as it struggles to deal with all the militant groups it recruited to fight for the regime, along with rebels who have surrendered.
Syria appears to have way too much of a "good" thing. The regime finds itself flooded with numerous paramilitary networks originally created to support its war against the opposition. That yearslong civil war seems to be winding down, though peace talks have been anything but smooth.
The government is working to stabilize security in the areas under its control, in part by reintegrating the paramilitary groups into its forces. These thousands of militants include former rebels who have surrendered. So far, it's been a small-scale effort conducted by superficial means. The regime needs to develop a long-term, institutionalized plan.
