Parliamentarians with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) are traveling around Syria in an unusual trip this week in hopes of boosting the party's efforts to send back half a million Syrian refugees currently living in Germany.

On Tuesday, members of the AfD posed for pictures with allies of Syrian President Bashar Assad and snapped pictures of women walking on the streets of Damascus, posting about their trip on social media.

The seven-man team is comprised of four Bundestag MPs as well as state parliamentarians from the populous, western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). Other than Damascus, the group plans on visiting Homs and Aleppo during their trip — all areas which are mostly controlled by the Assad government.

Read more: Former US ambassador — 'Syrian situation extremely dangerous'

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? War with no end Syria has been engulfed in a devastating civil war since 2011 after Syrian President Bashar Assad lost control over large parts of the country to multiple revolutionary groups. The conflict has since drawn in foreign powers and brought misery and death to Syrians.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The dictator Syria's army, officially known as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), is loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and is fighting to restore the president's rule over the entire country. The SAA has been fighting alongside a number of pro-Assad militias such as the National Defense Force and has cooperated with military advisors from Russia and Iran, which back Assad.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The northern watchman Turkey, which is also part of the US-led coalition against IS, has actively supported rebels opposed to Assad. It has a tense relationship with its American allies over US cooperation with Kurdish fighters, who Ankara says are linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighting in Turkey. Turkey has launched multiple military offensives targeting Kurdish militias.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The eastern guardian The Kremlin has proven to be a powerful friend to Assad. Russian air power and ground troops officially joined the fight in September 2015 after years of supplying the Syrian army. Moscow has come under fire from the international community for the high number of civilian casualties during its airstrikes. However, Russia's intervention turned the tide in war in favor of Assad.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The western allies A US-led coalition of more than 50 countries, including Germany, began targeting IS and other terrorist targets with airstrikes in late 2014. The anti-IS coalition has dealt major setbacks to the militant group. The US has more than a thousand special forces in the country backing the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The rebels The Free Syrian Army grew out of protests against the Assad regime that eventually turned violent. Along with other non-jihadist rebel groups, it seeks the ouster of President Assad and democratic elections. After suffering a number of defeats, many of its members defected to hardline militant groups. It garnered some support from the US and Turkey, but its strength has been greatly diminished.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The resistance Fighting between Syrian Kurds and Islamists has become its own conflict. The US-led coalition against the "Islamic State" has backed the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias. The Kurdish YPG militia is the main component of the SDF. The Kurds have had a tacit understanding with Assad.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The new jihadists "Islamic State" (IS) took advantage of regional chaos to capture vast swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014. Seeking to establish its own "caliphate," IS has become infamous for its fundamentalist brand of Islam and its mass atrocities. IS is on the brink of defeat after the US and Russia led separate military campaigns against the militant group.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The old jihadists IS is not the only terrorist group that has ravaged Syria. A number of jihadist militant groups are fighting in the conflict, warring against various rebel factions and the Assad regime. One of the main jihadist factions is Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which controls most of Idlib province and has ties with al-Qaeda.

Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The Persian shadow Iran has supported Syria, its only Arab ally, for decades. Eager to maintain its ally, Tehran has provided Damascus with strategic assistance, military training and ground troops when the conflict emerged in 2011. The Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah also supports the Assad regime, fighting alongside Iranian forces and paramilitary groups in the country. Author: Elizabeth Schumacher, Alexander Pearson



Questioning Syria's security status

Helmut Seifen, the deputy leader of the AfD's parliamentary party in the NRW state parliament, told DW the AfD politicians taking part in the trip hope to determine "whether there is war everywhere, or if there are safe areas as well."

He emphasized that it was a "private" trip organized by the group's de-facto leader Christian Blex, an AfD state parliamentarian from NRW. Seifen denied that the trip has a direct connection to the AfD's refugee repatriation proposal, but added that the AfD expected to receive a report after the group returns on Friday.

He noted that MPs would likely only travel to "safe" areas.

Read more: What foreign powers want from the Syrian war

In a statement posted on Blex's Facebook page, the group said the goal of the trip is to gauge "the humanitarian situation and reconstruction work" as well as to form a "rational assessment of the situation in Syria with regard to the ongoing discussion about its classification as a safe country of origin, which also concerns the decision to suspend deportation for rejected asylum-seekers."

The statement added that German media couldn't be trusted in its coverage of the conflict.

Blex was one of several AfD politicians who traveled to the Russia-annexed Crimea last month to speak out against Western sanctions. The group traveled through Moscow, a move seen as illegal by the Ukrainian government. The trip was criticized by both Kyiv and Berlin.

Read more: Violence against refugees in Germany drops dramatically

Watch video 02:14 Share Helping relatives in Syria Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/2tliP Supporting besieged relatives in Syria

Talks with Assad ally

On Monday, the group held a two hour-long meeting with Syrian Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun, who reportedly urged Syrian refugees to return home. Blex also implored German Chancellor Angela Merkel to invite the mufti for a visit.

In 2011, Hassoun threatened to send suicide bombers to Europe and the US in the event of Western intervention in the Syrian conflict. He is a close ally of Assad's government.

In a video posted online, AfD Münster spokesman Thomas Röckemann said Hassoun had also criticized DITIB, an organization backed by the Turkish government that funds mosques in Germany. He reportedly warned about Turkey's influence in religious institutions abroad.

Turkey launched an incursion into the northern Syrian territory of Afrin in January, seeking to kick out the US-backed Syrian Kurdish militia and backing rebels fighting Assad.

Read more: Turkish attack on Afrin — 'The Kurds put their trust in the US and the West'

Lawmaker visits to Syria — an overview German far-right lawmakers travel to Syria A group of state and national lawmakers with the German anti-immigration AfD kicked off a week-long trip to Syria by meeting with allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on March 6. Their goal? To prove Syria is safe enough to repatriate refugees living in Germany. Berlin sharply criticized the move, with a government spokesman saying: "Whoever courts this regime disqualifies themselves."

Lawmaker visits to Syria — an overview US Senator John McCain The Republican senator made two controversial, private trips to Syria. The first was in May 2013 when he met with members of the opposition Free Syrian Army. Shortly thereafter, the US began training and equipping opposition forces. The second was in January 2017, when McCain met with troops in Kurdish-held northern Syria. Although criticized in the media, Washington hasn't censured the senator.

Lawmaker visits to Syria — an overview US Representative Tulsi Gabbard In January 2017, the Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii and military veteran went on a "fact finding" visit to Syria. In a complete reversal with US policy, Gabbard met with Assad during her trip. She was staunchly criticized by both Republicans and Democrats for the visit. Gabbard is one of the few US politicians to voice doubt over whether the Assad regime has been using chemical weapons.

Lawmaker visits to Syria — an overview MEPs meet with Assad Three members of the European Parliament led by Spanish MEP Javier Couso Permuy visited Syria and met with Assad as part of a "working visit." The EU parliament denied that the body paid for the trip, calling it an unofficial visit. The MEPs later formed a group called the Syria Peace Process Support Group, which met Assad in Syria again in March 2017.

Lawmaker visits to Syria — an overview Council of Europe head faces consequences Pedro Agramunt, the former president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) went on a Russia-sponsored trip to Syria in March 2017. During the visit, the Spanish senator not only met with Assad, but with Russian officials, as well. Although he apologized, PACE prohibited him from traveling or speaking on behalf of the assembly. PACE did not have the power to dismiss him.

Lawmaker visits to Syria — an overview French lawmakers spark outrage at home In February 2015, four French MPs from different political parties met with Assad — bucking France's no-contact policy with the regime — and toured areas hit hard by the war, including the city of Homs (pictured above).Their trip was swiftly condemned by the French government and there were calls for the MPs to resign. All of them ended up staying in their posts. Author: Rebecca Staudenmaier



Tight jeans and 'lively traffic'

The AfD group did not elaborate on the parameters it's using to judge the security and humanitarian situation during its trip, but voiced surprise at the level of normalcy in the government-controlled capital.

"We have lived through the harshness of war in Germany before and we are still aware of the suffering it brings. We were surprised when we saw people going about their normal lives in Damascus," Blex told reporters, according to the state-owned, pro-Syrian government news website Tishreen.

Blex was also impressed by the amount of afternoon traffic bustling through the Syrian capital, as well as a pair of women wearing jeans on the street.

"Blue jeans instead of a black veil! Women sit in bars. Barely imaginable in Mecca — also sadly not in Berlin-Neukölln," Blex wrote on Twitter, adding that the German government "supports 'rebels' who want to force women into burqas."

Some Syrians have responded wryly to the AfD politicians' assessment of the situation in their country, where areas like eastern Ghouta are under daily bombardment and have been described by UN chief Antonio Guterres as "hell on Earth."

"That's it guys, our demand to wear tight jeans has been granted and that means all our problems have been solved… let's return home! Let the chips fall as they may," Syrian journalist Yaacob Kaddoury, who is now based in Europe, wrote on Facebook.

Read more: Eastern Ghouta tragedy pits neighbors against each other

Assault on eastern Ghouta, Syria in pictures Enclave under siege More than 1,500 people have been killed since Syrian government troops backed by Russia launched a ferocious attack on eastern Ghouta on February 18. Airstrikes have reduced much of the area near Damascus to ruins. According to the UN, there were an estimated 400,000 people trapped inside the besieged enclave without access to food and water when the offensive began.

Assault on eastern Ghouta, Syria in pictures 'Hell on earth' The town of Douma, with its 200,000 residents, is now the only remaining Ghouta pocket still under rebel control. The full recapture of eastern Ghouta would mark a significant victory for Syrian President Bashar Assad. Referring to the month-long assault on the enclave, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres demanded "this hell on earth" be stopped immediately.

Assault on eastern Ghouta, Syria in pictures Reports of chemical attack According to activists and doctors in the region, several people have suffered symptoms consistent with those triggered by a chlorine gas attack and had to be treated in hospital. French President Emmanuel Macron has warned the Syrian regime that the use of chemical weapons will result in French retaliation, but the Syrian government claims it has never used this kind of munition.

Assault on eastern Ghouta, Syria in pictures 300,000 killed A man and child look at the remains of a missile in Douma, the largest in eastern Ghouta. More than 300,000 people have been killed since the conflict began in 2011, when the government cracked down on protesters who were calling for the release of political prisoners and for President Assad to step down.

Assault on eastern Ghouta, Syria in pictures 'Rapid spread of malnutrition' Activists say people in Douma have little food or water. Marten Mylius, the emergency relief coordinator for CARE in the Middle East, told DW that "after the tunnels were destroyed and the crossings closed, the price of basic foods skyrocketed. One kilo of rice now costs $4.50 (€3.66). A lot of people cannot afford that anymore. In other words, we are witnessing a rapid spread of malnutrition."

Assault on eastern Ghouta, Syria in pictures At the mercy of the regime Aid access to eastern Ghouta is difficult because there is no direct route from neighboring countries. "In Idlib, for example...you can get in directly from the Turkish border. You can wait with supplies at the border and then bring in the convoy. It is much more difficult in eastern Ghouta," Mylius told DW. Author: Natalie Muller



Condemnation, confusion back home

Several German Green party MPs, as well as members of Merkel's conservative party have expressed outrage over the parliamentarians' trip in Syria.

Michael Brand, the human rights spokesman of the CDU/CSU's bloc in parliament, said the AfD trip was "simply disgusting."

Green party lawmaker Konstantin von Notz wrote on Twitter that the AfD politicians were acting like "Assad fan boys."

The Greens' foreign policy spokesman Omid Nouripour criticized the Afd politicians in a tweet as "being courted in palaces in Damascus while their 'hosts' throw bombs on children less than 15 kilometers away." Seifen said the group informed the German Foreign Office of its travel plans, but a ministry spokesperson said the office had not been informed. A travel warning for Syria remains in place for all Germans.

German government officials last visited Syria in February 2011, just weeks before the conflict erupted. The German embassy in Damascus closed several months later. In a call with US President Donald Trump last Friday, Merkel said the Assad government must be held accountable for its use of chemical weapons and attacks against civilians in eastern Ghouta.

The Syrian regime has been accused war crimes, human rights violations, and using chemical weapons by a United Nations inquiry into Syria. Assad denies the allegations.

Additional reporting by Wesley Dockery.

This article was updated on March 7, 2018.

Watch video 00:29 UN condemns abuses by both Syrian regime forces and rebels

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