Methods in the madness? Exploring the logics of torture in Syrian counterinsurgency practices

While the administrations of Hafez and Bashar al-Assad employed torture regularly as a tool authoritarian governance, this usage changed dramatically in nature revolution moved from protests to insurgency, which posed an increasingly significant threat regime’s survival. In counterinsurgency literature, torture’s function is generally tied intelligence gathering. context Syria’s post-2011 Counterinsurgency (COIN) campaign, functioned more way intimidate population, forcing them explicitly choose side—especially contested zones. The by uprising amplified scale, form, targeting, purpose torture, expanding it significantly. This article traces these dynamics, not only explain changing logics practices Syria, but also identify key actors, structures, sites analysis. It attempts avoid falling into normative trap simply condemning moving its examination analytical space, thereby demonstrating how can perform critical beyond gathering within COIN campaign.