Military branches Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air Force, Syrian ArabAir Defense Forces, Police and Security Force

Military manpower - military age 19 years of age

Military manpower - availability
males age 15-49: 3,742,851 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service
males : 2,095,933 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually
males: 170,328 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure $875 million (1994 est.); note - based on official budget data thatunderstate actual spending

Military expenditures - percent of GDP 8% (1994 est.)

Disputes - international Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; Hatay question with Turkey; disputewith upstream riparian Turkey over Turkish water development plans for theTigris and Euphrates Rivers; Syrian troops in northern, central, and easternLebanon since October 1976

Illicit drugs a transit point for Lebanese and Turkish refined cocaine going to Europeand heroin and hashish bound for regional and Western markets

Current issues Tajikistan has experienced three changes of government since it gainedindependence in September 1991. The current president, Emomali RAHMONOV, waselected in November 1994, yet has been in power since 1992. The country issuffering through its fourth year of a civil conflict, with no clear end insight. Underlying the conflict are deeply rooted regional and clan-based animosities that pit a government consisting of people primarily from theKulob (Kulyab), Khujand (Leninabad), and Hisor (Hissar) regions against asecular and Islamic-led opposition from the Gharm, Gorno-Badakhshan, and Qurghonteppa(Kurgan-Tyube) regions. Government and opposition representatives have heldperiodic rounds of UN-mediated peace talks and agreed in September 1994 toa cease-fire which has been periodically extended. Russian-led peacekeepingtroops are deployed throughout the country, and Russian-commanded border guardsare stationed along the Tajikistani-Afghan border.

NOTE: The information regarding Syria on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Syria Military 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Syria Military 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.