The regime has responded to the decline of its regular forces by creating a variety of irregular forces (shabbiha militias, Popular Committees, local militias, the Baath Party Militia) and then merging them under the so-called National Defense Forces.
The urine is normally sterile. An infection occurs when bacteria get into the urine and begin to grow. The infection usually starts at the opening of the urethra where the urine leaves the body and moves upward into the urinary tract. 1  The culprit in at least 90% of uncomplicated infections is a type of bacteria called Escherichia coli, better know as E. coli.
The most common cause of UTIs are bacteria from the bowel that live on the skin near the rectum or in the vagina, and which can spread and enter the urinary tract through the urethra. Once these bacteria enter the urethra, they travel up, causing infection in the bladder and sometimes other parts of the urinary tract.