Arab Socialist Movement (Damascus branch)

For the defunct party, see Arab Socialist Movement.

The Arab Socialist Movement's Damascus branch is a Syrian political party that operates from Damascus. It originated as faction of the Arab Socialist Movement, a party which broke apart in the 1960s, and continues to claim the original party's name and legacy. The Damascus branch is headed by Abdul-Ghani Qannout, and joined the Ba'ath Party-led National Progressive Front government in 1972^[2][3] and has continued to support the al-Assad family's rule in Syria ever since.^[1] After Abdul-Ghani Qannout died in 2001, Ahmad al-Ahmad became the new secretary general; under him, the party continued its pro-government course, even during the Syrian Civil War.^[1] Amid the conflict's civil uprising phase, the Arab Socialist Movement's Damascus branch organised pro-government rallies.^[4] When the uprising escalated into a full insurgency, members of the party organised pro-government militias. Assistant secretary general Omar Adnan al-Alawi headed the National Defence Forces' Deir ez-Zor branch during part of the siege of Deir ez-Zor (2014–17), and was wounded in combat.^[1] A member of the party's political office, Turki Albu Hamad, played a leading role in founding the "Forces of the Fighters of the Tribes" militia.^[1]

Arab Socialist Movement حركة الاشتراكيين العرب
Leader	Omar Adnan al-Alawi
Founder	Akram al-Hawrani
Founded	5 January 1950 (5 January 1950) (original Arab Socialist Movement)
Split from	Arab Socialist Movement
Headquarters	Damascus, Syria
Ideology	Arab socialism Arab nationalism Pan-Arabism Ba'athism[1]
Political position	Left-wing
National affiliation	National Progressive Front
People's Assembly	0 / 250
Website
Facebook page
Politics of Syria Political parties Elections

References

1. Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad (4 February 2019). "The Arab Socialist Movement: Interview". Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi.
2. Seale 1990, pp. 175, 176.
3. Akram al-Bunni (2013), pp. 5, 8.
4. Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad. "Quwat Muqatili al-Asha'ir: Tribal Auxiliary Forces of the Military Intelligence". Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi.

Works cited

• Akram al-Bunni (2013). An Analysis of the Syrian Left Realities (PDF). Rosa Luxemburg Foundation.
• Seale, Patrick (1990). Asad of Syria: The Struggle for the Middle East. University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-06976-5.