SSNP Plays Active Role in Political Life, Military Operations against Terrorists

The Syrian Social Nationalist Party, which effectively takes part in political life, has decided to participate in military actions against foreign-backed terrorist groups since the start of the war on Syria in 2011, Dr. Ahmad Mer’ei, member of the SSNP’s politburo told the Syriatimes e-newspaper.

The nationalist made it clear that the SSNP (also called the Parti Populaire Syrien), founded in 1932, has representatives in the Syrian People’s Assembly [parliament] and in the government as well as in the Lebanese and Jordanian parliaments and it works on disseminating awareness in the community.

 “We believe that awareness is linked with people’s realization of their national identity, i.e. Syrian identity,” Dr. Mer’ei said, pointing out that the SSNP has 8 basic principles and 5 reform ones.

The main principles concentrate on integrity, unity and interest of the Syrian nation, while the reform ones underlines the need to separate religion from state affairs and to build a strong army.

“The goal of the SSNP is to create Syrian social nationalist renaissance and restore vitality of the Syrian nation,” said the nationalist, who clarified that the party’s headquarters is in Lebanon and it uses ‘red hurricane’ symbol as its emblem.

He went on to say that the party’s emblem represents renaissance movement in the nation and the higher values of nationalists- freedom, duty, system, strength. “The SSNP is a member of the General Conference of Arab Party and one of its members, Mr. Qasem Saleh, is chairing the conference.”

‘Eagles of Hurricane’

Asked about the party’s participation in military action in Syria, the nationalist replied: “The party has an armed branch called ‘Eagles of Hurricane’ [Nusur al-Zawb’a] and it fights alongside Syrian army against foreign-backed terrorists in several areas. The branch offered a lot of martyrs.”

He underscored that the ‘Eagles of Hurricane’s fighters leave a largely positive impression wherever they go and they have good reputation among people in Syria.

Last month the Beirut-based al-Mayadeen TV channel broadcasted a documentary on the ‘Eagles of Hurricane’ where some fighters in military sites talked about their participation in the ongoing battles against terrorists in Syria.

“Those who do not have doctrine, can’t remain steadfast,” one of the fighters said, according to al-Mayadeen documentary, asserting that the ideology of ‘Eagles of Hurricane’ is based on their belief in the unity of the Syrian nation, which includes Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Palestine.

“If one of my war comrades is wounded, I never leave him. I either stay with him or take him with me,” another fighter said, stressing that when a fighter abandons his humanity he turns into a mercenary.

The branch of the ‘Eagles of Hurricane’ was founded in 1975 to fight the Zionist enemy [Israel] south of Lebanon and it carried out many martyrdom operations against the enemy. One of these operations was carried out by Sana’a Mhidali, 17-year-old girl, in response to occupation’s savage practices against people in south Lebanon.

Interviewed by: Basma Qaddour