military official

Riad al-Asaad

رياض الأسعد

Journeys

The Colonel Who Fired the First Shot: Riad al-Asaad and the Birth of the FSA

From Syrian Air Force colonel to founder of the armed rebellion — Riad al-Asaad's July 2011 defection created the Free Syrian Army, the first organized military opposition to Assad.

Biography

Riad al-Asaad is a former Syrian Air Force colonel who became the founding commander of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) after defecting in July 2011. Operating from southern Turkey, he announced the FSA's formation and called on soldiers to defect and protect civilians. Though his authority over the fragmented opposition military was always limited, his defection was a watershed moment that signalled the militarisation of the Syrian uprising. He survived an assassination attempt in 2013 that cost him his leg.

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Journeys1

Key Facts

Born:1961

Place:Idlib, Syria

Nationality:Syrian