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Syrian Druse Reconsider Alliances After Deadly Attack Syrian Druse Reconsider Alliances After Deadly Attack
(35 minutes later)
BEIRUT, Lebanon — A deadly attack by Al Qaeda’s Syrian branch in the north and an advance by other insurgents into a previously quiet southern province are squeezing Syria’s Druse minority sect across the country, setting off urgent debates among Druse leaders about how best to protect their interests: stick close to the government, reach out to Sunni insurgents or stand alone and defend themselves. BEIRUT, Lebanon — A deadly attack by Al Qaeda’s Syrian branch in the north and an advance by other insurgents into a previously quiet southern province are squeezing Syria’s Druse minority sect across the country, setting off urgent debates among Druse leaders about how best to protect their interests: Stick close to the government, reach out to Sunni insurgents or stand alone and defend themselves.
The fast-moving events of recent days have thrown into sharp relief the mounting new challenges to President Bashar al-Assad during recent weeks of accelerating shifts on the battlefield, as well as fears over how the Al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, the Nusra Front, treats civilians and minorities as it consolidates power and advances in new areas. The fast-moving events of recent days have thrown into sharp relief the mounting new challenges to President Bashar al-Assad during recent weeks of accelerating shifts on the battlefield, as well as fears over how the Qaeda affiliate in Syria, the Nusra Front, treats civilians and minorities as it consolidates power and advances in new areas.
Walid Jumblatt, a member of the Lebanese Parliament and the region’s pre-eminent Druse leader, declared on his Twitter account that Druse should give up on the government and reconcile with the restive Sunni community that surrounds them in southern Syria, where the uprising against Mr. Assad broke out more than four years ago.Walid Jumblatt, a member of the Lebanese Parliament and the region’s pre-eminent Druse leader, declared on his Twitter account that Druse should give up on the government and reconcile with the restive Sunni community that surrounds them in southern Syria, where the uprising against Mr. Assad broke out more than four years ago.
“The regime is finished,” Mr. Jumblatt declared in an interview in his house in Beirut on Thursday, as insurgents entered a military base in the southern province of Sweida for the first time in four years of war, two days after seizing a major base in neighboring Dara’a. Syrian Druse, “before being Druse, are part of Syria, and they are Arabs,” he said. “Their natural environment is Sunni. Their only way is to reconcile with that environment, with the people of Dara’a, the first people who revolted against Assad.” “The regime is finished,” Mr. Jumblatt declared in an interview in his house in Beirut on Thursday, as insurgents entered a military base in the southern province of Sweida for the first time in four years of war, two days after seizing a major base in neighboring Dara’a.
Syrian Druse, “before being Druse, are part of Syria, and they are Arabs,” he said. “Their natural environment is Sunni. Their only way is to reconcile with that environment, with the people of Dara’a, the first people who revolted against Assad.”
Mr. Jumblatt said his position was unchanged despite an episode Wednesday night in Idlib Province in the north, where at least 20 Druse residents were killed after a dispute with Nusra Front fighters. He condemned the killings, adding that they should be viewed in the context of a war that has killed more than 200,000 Syrians.Mr. Jumblatt said his position was unchanged despite an episode Wednesday night in Idlib Province in the north, where at least 20 Druse residents were killed after a dispute with Nusra Front fighters. He condemned the killings, adding that they should be viewed in the context of a war that has killed more than 200,000 Syrians.
The violence erupted, according to anti-government activists, when a Tunisian commander of the group tried to confiscate the house of a government fighter; the owners of the house objected, supporters gathered, brandishing sticks and the Nusra fighters opened fire. A Nusra member, Mohammad Feezo, said that residents fired first and that two Nusra fighters were killed. The violence erupted, according to anti-government activists, when a Tunisian commander of the group tried to confiscate the house of a government fighter; the owners of the house objected, supporters gathered, brandishing sticks, and the Nusra fighters opened fire. A Nusra member, Mohammad Feezo, said that residents fired first and that two Nusra fighters were killed.
Residents say that tensions in the village, Qalb al-Lawzi, had been raised earlier when Nusra fighters pressured them to convert to Islam, even while other insurgent groups, though allied with Nusra on the battlefield, let them conduct their daily lives and customs.Residents say that tensions in the village, Qalb al-Lawzi, had been raised earlier when Nusra fighters pressured them to convert to Islam, even while other insurgent groups, though allied with Nusra on the battlefield, let them conduct their daily lives and customs.
In the mostly Druse Sweida Province, in the south, a different drama was unfolding. Mortars fell on the city of Sweida, sending people fleeing toward Damascus from an area where up to now few have been displaced. Druse in Sweida have largely remained neutral or supportive of the Assad government, but have increasingly resisted sending sons to fight in the army, preferring to keep them home to defend their own areas.The insurgent offensive was led by the Southern Front, which includes elements that the United States deems sufficiently moderate to receive American aid through a covert C.I.A. program, yet at the same time have often cooperated in battle with Nusra. In the mostly Druse Sweida Province, a different drama was unfolding. Mortar rounds fell on the city of Sweida, sending people fleeing toward Damascus from an area where up to now few have been displaced. Druse in Sweida have largely remained neutral or supportive of the Assad government, but have increasingly resisted sending sons to fight in the army, preferring to keep them home to defend their own areas.
By evening, state media was declaring that government reinforcements had pushed back the insurgent advance on the air base. And leaders of the Southern Front — seeking to preserve international support and perhaps the backing of locals, had issued statements condemning the Idlib killings as “a crime against Syrian coexistence and the future.” The insurgent offensive was led by the Southern Front, which includes elements that the United States deems sufficiently moderate to receive American aid through a covert C.I.A. program, yet at the same time have often cooperated in battle with Nusra.
“ We affirm that the people of Sweida are our brothers and our people,” the statement said. “We have not and will not fight them, and we will be with them hand in hand to confront all threats to the province if they ask us to do so.” By evening, the state news media was declaring that government reinforcements had pushed back the insurgent advance on the air base. And leaders of the Southern Front, seeking to preserve international support and perhaps the backing of locals, had issued statements condemning the Idlib killings as “a crime against Syrian coexistence and the future.”
“We affirm that the people of Sweida are our brothers and our people,” the statement said. “We have not and will not fight them, and we will be with them hand in hand to confront all threats to the province if they ask us to do so.”