In addition to grim economic and political conditions, mandatory military service continues to fuel an exodus of young Syrian men who might never return to the country.
Runaways and draft dodgers are now widespread, even those who support the Syrian government. And slowly but surely, desertion is draining Syria of some of its best and brightest — many of them choosing now to go to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). And for those who cannot get out, enlisting in militias or going to fight abroad may be the most lucrative opportunity left for them.
