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3. The city is inhabited by a relatively small tribe of Al Bu Khabur, which migrated from Iraq. It is part of Aighedat confederation and as a tribe was not the much important in Deir ez Zor political/tribal scene.

4. The city became famous in 1950s. It was a place of assignment for many teachers from Deir ez Zor, who were seen a "communist sympathizers". This made Muhassan one of the places with the most # of high educated people per 1km2.

5. As most of them were Syrian Communist Party follower, the city got called "Little Moscow". But that is not all, what made it famous. In 1950s Syrian Goverment started to sort out things with land registry and ownership. It was not only to legalize it.

6. As most of East Syria tribes were nomads or semi-nomads, the goal was to place them on land. After 1952, the official owners of land were shayhs. The rest of tribe needed to sit down on land to get registered in Ministry of Interior. This made shayhs more powerful.

7. They monopolized the means of agricultural production (fertilizers, pumps or even tractors). This is why a group of laborers from Al Bu Kabur tribe revolted against a shayhs of Shaitat tribe owning the land in 1953 (Saneed Al Hani/Mahmoud Al Saleh)

8. They took over the building, police did not intervene and they created first Agricultural Cooperative, which operated well and was one of the stimulus for future Baath party to create the collective farming projects in Hassakah and Deir ez Zor in 1970s.

9. Since 1980s, the cooperative was not doing well. Droughts, monopoly on festilizers by gov Huduud institution made Muhasan one of very poor plces, just like whole Deir ez Zor province, forgotten in investments policy after 1990. This is why in 2011 the city revolted.

10. Muhassan was one of the first enclaves, which gathered runaways from Deir ez Zor city, who were searched after participation in protests. The city was attacked by goverment forces and started to create own battalions (kataib) to fight back.

11. First group set, was a battalion (under umbrella of FSA, which I hardly believe new about it) called Haj Mahmoud Mussahan. This battalion enlisted mainly deserters from 137th mechanized brigade (17th reserve division). Later it changed its name to Omar bin Khattab battalion.

12. Omar bin Khattab was main protection and security force in the city. They were responsible for fighting in battle of Rusafa in 2012 against SAA, which finaly allowed insurgents to control the province. The win could not be achieved without islamists support...

13. In 2012 another brigade appeared in Muhassan - Aflad Muhammad batallion, which was not even trying to show secular face. It was an islamists battalion with financial support from Gulf Monarchies (just like other battalions in Deir ez Zor). Both battalions cooperated.

14. Both sieged the SAA on DeZ airport and attacked Al-Thayim oil field (Al Furat). The Al Bu Khabur members did not take over the field, but "taxated" it. The group was known for using suicide bombers.

15. Starting from 2013, the conflict between Nusra and Daesh heated up in Deir ez Zor. Both groups merged into Aflad Muhammad Battallion. The Al Bu Khabur tribe, chose to attack long time enemies (Shaitat) and this way chose the allegiance to Daesh. They still control the city.

16. Until 2016, the city control was divided into two units: Military Council led by Munir al-Ahmad (battalion commander), while civil Revolutionary Council was led by Abdul Rahman Al-Muhemmeil, known better as Abu Khawla Muhassan. Both were very interesting characters.

17. Munir al-Ahmad was a military defector from 137th brigade, who organized the battalion. He controlled the heavy arms and was responsible for using the in battle of Rusafa in 2012.

18. Abu Khawla Muhassan, was born in Ras al Ayn in N Syria. Graduating Police School in Damascus, got asigned as traffic police in Muhassan. With start of 2011 events, he defected to Omar bin Khattab battalion.

19. Both had a role in giving away the city to Daesh in 2014. Munir after alliance with Daesh, demobilized his battalion and gave away heavy arms to them. Daesh arrested him and later released. He joined Daesh and most propably died on barricated of Deir ez Zor airport in 2014.

20. Abu Khawla when Daesh was close to the city, arrested all the commanders (incl. Munir) and gave away the city to Daesh. He was promoted to head of Hizba in city (religious police) and later was responsible for maintaing oil fields production and share of revenues.

21. His involvement with Daesh made him also use his new contact to settle off old disputes with Daesh. He was most propably taking part with his rank&files in Shaytat Massacre in 2014. Later he was seen fighting in Tadef and N. Syria and was captured by pro-Turkish rebels.

22. Daesh quickly settled in Muhassan. They recruited people like Humaidan Al-Ursan or Muhammad Mahmoud Al Abadi known as Abu Osama Al Quraish in their ranks. The last one died in Russian airstrikes in 2015.

23. In 2017 Muhassan was taken by SAA without 1 shot. Al Bu Khabur joined them and were first (with Busraya) to point SDF as their arch-enemy (forgetting Daesh coalition). Until today the city is not rebuilt.

24. This case shows that the success of Daesh would not be possible without using the old rule of "divide et impera".Small tribes were rallied against bigger ones and local grieviances were reopened. This is a lesson for anyone controlling this territory.

25. The one who controls Deir ez Zor, must balance out between tribes, not making one powerful and changing alliances faster than the tribes do it themselves.