The economic networks of the fourth division during the Syrian conflict

Abstract

The 4th Division, an elite formation in the Syrian regime’s army, has undertaken war economy activities using businessmen, brokers and smugglers and is gradually taking over trade in scrap materials, convoy protection and the levying of fees on the transit of goods. For a period of time it also controlled the management of vital facilities, such as ports. Based on interviews with experts, economists, merchants, defected officers and workers in the 4th Division and its security office, and information available on websites and social media, this study reviews the changes that have taken place in the 4th Division, its increasingly hegemonic involvement in war economy activities, the implications of this and the factors that limit this hegemony.