President Assad Urges Syrians to Join Army Amid Troop Shortage

President Bashar al-Assad urged more Syrians to join the army, saying a shortage of troops is the main obstacle preventing the military from winning the war.

Assad, speaking a day after he issued an amnesty for deserters, said that while more people have been joining the army, the number of soldiers wasn’t enough to win a conflict fought on multiple battlefronts. He also said that his appeal doesn’t mean the military is collapsing.

The amnesty “is one step, and the rest is up to society,” he said in a televised address on Sunday. “The people who don’t defend the homeland have no homeland.”

The remarks are a rare public acknowledgment of the government’s struggle to crush a four-year rebellion seeking to end Assad’s rule. Government troops, supported by gunmen from the pro-Iranian Hezbollah group, are fighting dozens of rebels and militant groups including the U.S.-backed Free Syrian Army, as well as Islamic State and an al-Qaeda affiliate.

Progress on the battlefield is the key to solving the crisis, Assad said.

“We are at a fateful stage that doesn’t allow for compromises,” he said. “We are steadfast and we will win.”

Iran has provided economic support and “military expertise” during the war, Assad said in the address. He also commended Russia and China for supporting the government at the United Nations Security Council.