On a Raid With Syria’s New Security Forces

We’re in Latakia, riding with security forces just 10 days after the collapse of the Syrian government led by former President Bashar al-Assad. They tell us one of their missions here is trying to find and arrest members of the old regime. The greater goal, they say, is to secure a city that until recently was an Assad family stronghold. We wanted to see whether they would do it differently from their predecessors. We arrive at a house belonging to a former Syrian Army officer. Only he isn’t the one being arrested. These two suspects in custody are former rebel fighters. They are, in theory, allies, part of a coalition of groups that joined forces to overthrow the Assad regime. They’ve been targeting Assad’s army for years, but today it’s landed them in trouble. We go inside to find out what happened. Throughout our time with this security unit, they insisted on their commitment to due process, even if it means helping a former enemy. The two fighters accused of looting are brought back to base, to a complex which was previously the military security headquarters here under Assad. Our guides were eager to call attention to the legacy of the Assad government, one of systemic repression, brutality and torture. Just down the hall, the arrested fighters are about to become prisoners here too. Despite efforts to contrast themselves with the old regime, questions remain about whether new leadership can deliver a more equitable system of justice in a Syria grappling with the ghosts of its past.