Chaos by Design: The Strategic Use of Militias

Conflating different militia actors is no longer a simple analytical misstep; it has evolved into one of the most dangerous forms of political deception. When chaos is reduced to a single label, or responsibility is indiscriminately dispersed among actors without distinction, the very system that sustains militias is reproduced and reinforced.

ISIS is a transnational extremist organization that represents neither Islam nor any human value. It is, in fact, among the most formidable enemies of both. The group emerged within an environment of repression, security vacuums, and institutional collapse, before being politically exploited. The Assad regime instrumentalized ISIS to rebrand itself as a guardian against terrorism, while Iran capitalized on its expansion to justify the deployment of cross-border militias under sectarian and security pretexts. This was not a direct act of “manufacture,” but a calculated investment in disorder.

“ISIS represents neither Islam nor humanity, it represents what happens when repression, political manipulation, and strategic chaos are deliberately allowed to flourish.”

Asmaa Razouk

Iranian militias, however, do not represent chaotic violence in the ISIS sense. They are part of a structured, state-driven project of regional influence. Operating under the doctrine of Wilayat al-Faqih, they consolidate power through arms, economic control, and sectarian loyalty networks. While they do not declare society apostate, they confiscate political agency, hollow out national sovereignty, and replace the state with a parallel system that supersedes law and institutions.

SDF-affiliated militias constitute yet another model of managed chaos. They represent an armed fait accompli sustained by international backing. Though devoid of religious rhetoric, they impose political and security authority outside any inclusive national consensus. Their relationship with territory and populations is rooted in control rather than partnership, rendering them part of the state crisis rather than a pathway to its reconstruction.

Foreign militias form the most dangerous denominator of all. Lacking social roots or historical accountability, they entered conflicts driven by ideological, sectarian, or financial motives. Used as expendable fuel for war, they were later abandoned, leaving behind profound damage to the social fabric—without any responsibility toward the future of the land on which they fought.

Blurring the distinctions between ISIS, Iranian militias, SDF forces, and foreign fighters—and exchanging accusations among them—serves neither truth nor justice. It serves only the architecture of chaos itself.

ISIS feeds on chaos:
Iranian militias legitimize their expansion through it.
Internationally backed armed projects entrench a fait accompli under its cover.
Foreign militias live by it—and perish within it.

Only a precise, analytical dismantling of the militia landscape—not slogans or emotional rhetoric—can expose this deception. The mixing of tools and mutual accusations produces nothing but deeper darkness and prolonged instability.

“Each militia exploits chaos differently, but all depend on it, and together they ensure that instability becomes permanent.”

Asmaa Razouk

Above all, it is essential to recognize a fundamental truth: militias have no genuine connection to identity, sect, or belief. They are hired instruments serving vested interests, regardless of the ideological or emotional slogans they deploy. Ultimately, they represent nothing beyond the profits they extract.

Direct your anger toward those who destroy the country and sow division.
The problem is not an Alawite, a Sunni, a Shiite, a Druze, a Kurd—or any human being born into the coincidence of belief or label.