Latest news with #Alawis
Middle East Eye
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
US not ruling out reopening embassy in Syria
The US's top diplomat indicated on Tuesday that the reopening of the US embassy in Damascus is possible if interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa can quell security concerns stemming from armed factions not aligned with his government. "We don't have an embassy in Syria. It's operating out of Turkey, but we need to help them," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday. He said US embassy staff in Turkey would assist the new Syrian officials in determining what type of assistance they will need to move forward in rebuilding the country. In a surprise move, President Donald Trump announced the lifting of all sanctions on Syria during a trip to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last week. Syria had been consistently under some measure of US sanctions for more than 40 years. Trump also met with Sharaa in Riyadh and said he was impressed by the leader, a former al-Qaeda fighter who fought against US forces in Iraq. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "It's entirely driven by security concerns," Rubio said of the continued suspension of embassy operations. He added, "It's not the transitional authorities. We don't think they would harm us, but there are other elements on the ground in Syria." Those elements could be referencing Alawis whose loyalty in some cases remains to former President Bashar al-Assad, who fled Syria in December 2024 as rebels advanced on Damascus, as well as holdouts from anti-Assad and Islamic State-aligned militant groups who have refused to join the ranks of the new unified Syrian army. "We have all kinds of requirements that are there for a reason. If someone is hurt, do you have a medical evacuation plan? Can you secure a facility from an attack from an armed group, many of whom are still running loose in the country? Unfortunately, it's one of the fundamental challenges the transitional authority is facing," Rubio told lawmakers. While Sharaa's government is not currently assessed as a threat to US interests, "the transitional authority figures, they didn't pass their background check with the FBI", Rubio said. "They've got a tough history... But on the flip side of it, if we engage them, it may work out [or] it may not work out. If we did not engage them, it is guaranteed to not work out." Syria on the brink Rubio met with Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in talks hosted by Turkey last week. Three weeks ago, Shaibani was also given a visa to come to the United Nations headquarters in New York and raise the new Syrian flag there. Rubio said if the Trump administration had not engaged with Sharaa's government and pushed for sanctions relief, Syria would have been "maybe weeks, not many months, away from potential collapse and a full-scale civil war of epic proportions. Basically, the country splitting up," Rubio explained. "The good news is that there is a Syrian national identity," he said. "It is one of the places in the Middle East where Alawites and Druze and Christians and Sunni and Shia and Kurds have lived alongside each other, underneath the banner of a Syrian identity, until it was broken by a butcher, Assad." The lifting of the sanctions, Rubio said, is primarily designed to allow neighbouring countries to assist Sharaa's team, and "to build governance mechanisms that allow them to actually establish a government [and] unify the armed forces". That, however, will not be enough, he said. 'Show us something special': Trump announces lifting Syria sanctions Read More » To attract much-needed foreign investment in Syria, the US will begin by issuing waivers under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which was signed into law during Trump's first term in 2019. However, waivers have expiry dates, and until further progress is made by the interim government, that seems to be the extent to which the US will issue relief. "I don't think the issue with them right now is a matter of willingness or lack of willingness. It's a lack of capability," Rubio said of Sharaa's efforts to rein in armed factions. For Washington, there's also the crucial matter of its primary partner in the region, Israel. "We've had conversations with them about this, what we view as an opportunity for Israel, if, in fact, Syria is stable and has in it a government that has no interest... in fighting a war," Rubio told lawmakers. He said there have been some assurances from Damascus. "Obviously, you have to prove it, but they have said this is a nationalist project. They are seeking to build a nation. They're not viewing themselves as a launch pad for revolution. They're not viewing themselves as a launch pad for attacks against Israel." Israel occupied Syria's Golan Heights, where Sharaa's family comes from, in 1967, and today, Trump recognises it as Israeli territory despite the UN asserting its illegality. When Assad's reign collapsed, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered troops into the Golan Heights buffer zone "to ensure that no hostile force embeds itself right next to the border of Israel". He also ordered the bombing of dozens of sites across Syria that he maintained were weapons caches for Hezbollah, an ally of the deposed Assad.
Middle East Eye
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Foreign-run accounts on X spread fake news about Syria, report finds
Foreign-based social media accounts on X have promoted misinformation about the situation in Syria since December, including by inciting sectarianism, according to a new BBC investigation. BBC Arabic's fact-checking team reported this week the findings of its probe into social media misinformation since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government on 8 December. It analysed more than 400,000 posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, linked to disinformation and hate speech in connection with Syria's new administration led by Ahmad al-Sharaa. Of those posts, at least 50,000 spread false or unreliable information about the new administration. Sixty percent of those posts originated from accounts outside of Syria, including in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and Iran. One of the false narratives was peddled on 9 March, when multiple accounts posted on X claiming that the priest of the Greek Orthodox Mar Elias Church near Damascus had been executed by 'Jolani gangs' - using Sharaa's nom de guerre. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Identical posts with the same wording and images circulated on X. The church later denied that any such execution had taken place. Elsewhere, in December a viral video claimed to show a man belonging to 'Jolani's gangs' destroying a statue of the Virgin Mary. The video was mostly circulated by accounts in Iraq. The BBC found that the video actually dated back to 2013. The investigation found several signs of coordinated activity, including use of bots and accounts posting simultaneous content with the same talking points. Posts fed sectarian violence The report also found online campaigns in support of Sharaa, including 80,000 posts from accounts mostly in Turkey and Saudi Arabia. It said those posts also showed clear signs of coordinated online manipulation. During a violent escalation in which hundreds of Alawis civilians were killed in March, misinformation was similarly spread online. The Syrian Network for Human Rights said 1,334 civilians, mostly Alawis, lost their lives in the violence, including 889 killed by armed forces involved in the security crackdowns in Syria's coastal region. At least 446 people were killed by non-state armed groups linked to Assad, the group added. The BBC report found over 100,000 posts spreading hate speech and incitement against Alawis in recent months. Many of these were identified as Saudi Arabian and Turkish-based accounts too. Disinformation stokes Alawi unease as Assad loyalists pursued in Syria Read More » Some of the posts referred to Alawis as 'infidels' and 'criminals'. Another example of coordinated sectarian posts centred around a fake recording claiming to show a Druze religious leader, Sheikh Marwan Kiwan, insulting the Prophet Muhammad. Both Kiwan and Syria's defence ministry said the recording was faked and intended to sow discord in Syrian society. Deadly clashes broke out between pro-government fighters and local Druze gunmen, resulting in the killing of dozens of people south of Damascus following the release of the debunked clip. During the violence, the BBC probe found calls for murder and hate speech initially posted in Syria, but then later promoted by accounts abroad, including in Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Ruslan Trad, a researcher at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, told the BBC that there had been evidence of coordinated sectarian disinformation related to Syria, serving Iranian and Israeli agendas. Israeli officials have regularly threatened Syria's new rulers, claiming they pose a threat to the Druze minority. Syrians across the country, including Druze in the south, have firmly rejected Israel's statements and claimed that it was an attempt to stir sectarian tensions.
Middle East Eye
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
One month on, killings persist in Syria's Alawi heartlands
In the weeks following the worst sectarian violence since the fall of Bashar al-Assad - unrest the government has said it is trying to contain - locals of Syria's northwestern coast continue to report killings, abductions, and raids targeting the Alawi community. What began as an attack on government security forces by Assad loyalists - many from the former president's Alawite sect - on 6 March had quickly spiralled into revenge attacks on civilians. The Syrian Network for Human Rights said 1,334 civilians, mostly Alawis, lost their lives in the violence in March, including 889 killed by armed forces involved in the security crackdowns in the region. At least 446 people were killed by non-state armed groups linked to Assad, the report added. Days later, authorities said they had regained control of the situation and have vowed accountability and safety measures, but residents say the calm never came. Speaking to Middle East Eye, 20 eyewitnesses and relatives of victims confirmed that military raids are also still ongoing, often under the pretext of searching for looters or Assad loyalists. All witness accounts were given to MEE on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Residents and local observers said the violence appears to be both random and systematic, carried out by armed factions with minimal interference from state authorities. In Sqoubin, a village in Latakia's countryside, the son of a prominent Alawi cleric was gunned down while returning from work on 5 April. He was riding a motorcycle with two relatives when their path was reportedly blocked by armed men. Middle East Eye has approached the Latakia governor's office for comment. The following day, in al-Mawrid village near Baniyas, assailants launched an attack from a neighbouring village. A young man was shot, and a disabled child was beaten. Both remain in critical condition. Despite pleas for help, residents said General Security forces failed to intervene. On 3 April, three young men from Tartous went missing while travelling out of town. That same week, two other young men were abducted in the Safita countryside and later found dead near a farm in Tallet al-Khodr. Witnesses said the pair had been forced into a black Honda Accord by armed men in civilian clothing who claimed to be from General Security. 'It depends on their mood' Residents describe a pattern of state-linked violence and non-state militia raids merging into one another. In al-Mahfoura, Homs, unidentified gunmen on motorcycles entered the village, fired several shots into the air, and then assassinated a local water well guard with six bullets. The attackers exited through roads flanked by government checkpoints, raising questions about how they moved undetected. A weekend from hell in coastal Syria Read More » Meanwhile, in Wadi al-Dahab, Homs, a 19-year-old barber trainee was gunned down outside his barbershop on 7 April. The attackers escaped before General Security arrived, though the incident prompted a significant security presence. A day later, three men, including two brothers, were shot by security forces around 3pm in the al-Azhari square in Latakia, according to witnesses. The men were on foot when General Security officers asked if they were Alawis before shooting them in the head. The incident triggered panic, with a bus driver abandoning his vehicle and passengers fleeing on foot. Lines between state-backed forces, rebel factions, and opportunistic militias have increasingly blurred, fuelling a pervasive sense of lawlessness. 'Each time a new group comes,' said one man from Jableh. 'Some shout religious slogans, some don't speak. You never know what you're dealing with.' Religious profiling has also become routine at checkpoints dotting the coastal mountain roads. Travellers are reportedly interrogated about their sect, and those who identify as Alawi often face beatings, insults, or detention. 'It depends on the mood of the guy at the checkpoint,' a local resident said. 'Everything is good, don't worry' In the village of al-Sanobar, located between Latakia city and Jableh, six masked gunmen stormed two neighbouring homes on 6 April, leaving one woman hospitalised and several families displaced. The assailants, dressed in matching uniforms, entered the area in the afternoon and initially reassured locals. 'They said everything is good, don't worry,' one resident told MEE about the fighters who had raided their house. 'But then they started asking for gold, money, phones.' 'Each time a new group comes. Some shout religious slogans, some don't speak. You never know what you're dealing with' - Resident, Jableh One of the targeted houses belonged to a school principal in her mid-40s. Witnesses said she was struck in the head and had her golden earrings torn off. 'She was still bleeding before fleeing to another village,' an eyewitness said. In the neighbouring home, a physics teacher managed to flee through the back gate into the garden. His wife and adult children stayed behind as the attackers looted everything they could find, including old Syrian lira coins, mobile phones, and laptops. Residents say these were not isolated incidents. Many have already fled the village, and those who remain live in fear. 'Only five houses are still occupied,' said another local. 'People have left after seeing what happened.' Even civilians trying to restore a sense of normalcy have come under attack. On the morning of 7 April, a group of teachers attempting to reopen the local school in al-Sanobar were met with gunfire. 'Four unidentified people on two motorbikes fired into the air,' said a witness. 'They saw the teachers returning and wanted to scare them away.' The incident was not investigated by the General Security, which arrived later that evening to arrest 25 people while searching for a family allegedly involved in a December attack on its troops. All the men were released after one night. The school remains closed, as do the citrus groves that once sustained the village. The psychological toll on children has also been severe. 'My children don't talk about it,' one parent said. 'But they wake up crying. One of them screams in her sleep.' 'We're on our own' The recent raids near al-Sanobar followed a now familiar pattern seen across Latakia, Tartous, Baniyas, and parts of Homs, where armed men arrive in vehicles nearly identical to official military convoys and pass through checkpoints without resistance. Although the mass killings of early March have tapered off, smaller-scale attacks are becoming more frequent. In recent days, multiple Alawi civilians have been found dead across the coastal region, many bearing signs of execution-style killings. On Monday, the Observatory said 12 civilians, mostly Alawis, were killed in incidents of apparent sectarian violence. 'The killings haven't stopped. They've simply become more calculated' - Resident, al-Sanobar 'The killings haven't stopped' one resident in al-Sanobar said. 'They've simply become more calculated.' In one of the latest incidents, the body of a young man kidnapped days earlier in Homs was found dumped near the rocky corniche in Tartous, shot in the head, locals said. On the same day, two other men were discovered dead in separate locations in Tartous and Latakia, residents said, heightening fears that targeted abductions and executions are becoming routine in Syria's coastal provinces. Attempts by Alawi community leaders to form a local council have repeatedly faltered amid fear and fragmentation. The response by the state has been largely absent. Calls to local police stations have gone unanswered or redirected. 'They told us, 'It's another group. We can't help,'' said one woman in Latakia, reflecting a broader sense of abandonment amongst residents. While many Alawis remained loyal to President Bashar al-Assad throughout the civil war, frustration had grown in recent years within Alawi-dominated areas. 'He was still a child': Grief and fear at Latakia hospital Read More » By 2023, public criticism of the Assad government intensified, with many citing corruption, economic collapse, and a lack of civil liberties. Despite the recent violence, the government has moved ahead with formal reconciliation efforts. On 8 April, authorities announced that the demobilisation centre in Latakia had resumed operations after a temporary pause due to attacks in the region. Officials reported that approximately 27,000 former government soldiers had completed settlement procedures. Yet as violence persists in provinces once considered stable, the prospect of meaningful stabilisation seems increasingly distant. With each passing week, trust in both state and non-state actors continues to erode. 'No one is protecting us,' said a resident displaced from Al-Sanobar. 'We're on our own.'
Middle East Eye
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Notorious war criminals led bloody attacks on Syria's coast
As the bloodiest days since the new authorities took power in Damascus unfolded earlier this month, blame was quickly cast in multiple directions. Reports, however, soon surfaced revealing that key figures within deposed President Bashar al-Assad's war machine were behind the coordinated assault that sparked the ensuing violence. In a coordinated assault on Syria's western coast, attackers belonging to the Alawi sect targeted hospitals, security and police checkpoints, killing around 172 government security forces. They fortified roads, opened fire on vehicles with out-of-region plates, and killed over 200 civilians, according to the French-based Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR). As a result, anger among armed factions in other parts of the country escalated, prompting fighters from former rebel groups, overwhelmingly Sunni, to raid the area seeking revenge and killing around 400 people, including civilians from Assad's Alawi sect, according to SNHR. "In a number of extremely disturbing instances, entire families, including women, children and individuals were killed," the United Nations said. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters A few days later, the Syrian government announced the end of its operation after thwarting a plot to seize the coastal region by armed individuals linked to Assad. A Syrian Army fighter told Middle East Eye that the operation was "extremely challenging" as many Assad loyalists remained active as sleeper cells. "They disguise themselves as civilians, stay in their homes, and then move in groups to rural areas where they have hidden weapons to launch attacks," he said. "Things are improving, but the situation remains volatile, with some indiscriminate attacks still occurring." War criminals Alawis, who make up about 10 percent of Syria's population, were the backbone of the Assad government, leading the army, police, security forces, and key government positions, including sectarian militias. 'He was still a child': Grief and fear at Latakia hospital Read More » The Assad government killed approximately 200,000 civilians through bombings and massacres over 14 years of war and tortured around 15,000 detainees to death, according to SNHR. After his group, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, toppled Assad, interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed justice for the victims and accountability for war crimes. However, many extremist Alawi leaders and fighters refused to surrender. Their leader, Mikdad Fatiha, released videos in recent weeks threatening the new government. He later announced the formation of the "Coastal Shield Brigade", the group that seized 90 percent of the coast in the recent attack. Boasting about his crimes and urging Alawis to keep their weapons and continue fighting, he said in one of his videos, "I have seen more human viscera and internal organs than surgeons." Most of his videos, where he claimed responsibility for attacks, appeared to be filmed in rural coastal areas. Mercenary officers Although a statement circulated on social media, allegedly signed by former Brigadier General Ghiath Dala, claimed the formation of a Military Council to lead attacks against the new government, Dala himself has not claimed responsibility. Dala was the right-hand man of Assad's brother, Maher, who led the well-financed and Iranian-backed Fourth Division. He was based at Hama Airport and commanded the 42nd Tank Brigade, launching large-scale offensives against rebels. Before forming the Ghaith Forces, a unit of approximately 500 mercenaries, Dala played a key role in storming, massacring and arresting thousands of civilians in Darayya, al-Moadamiyah, Eastern Ghouta, and Daraa. His forces besieged towns, forcing residents to survive on tree leaves. Suhayl al-Hasan, a Russian-backed major general in the former Syrian Army, is also believed to be involved in the latest riots. Hasan, 55, was an officer in Air Security and has been sanctioned by the West for human rights violations. As the leader of the notorious mercenary Tiger Forces group, he pioneered the use of barrel bombs - explosive devices dropped from helicopters, causing massive destruction and indiscriminate civilian deaths. Official media used to portrayed him as an "undefeated warrior", making him a key figure in Assad's military campaigns. Widespread violations The new General Security forces announced the arrest of Ibrahim Huweija, the former head of Syria's General Security forces under Assad. Known as the "assassination engineer", he was accused of orchestrating hundreds of killings, including the assassinations of top Lebanese officials. Local media linked Huweija to the recent riots, though Middle East Eye could not verify the claims. A weekend from hell in coastal Syria Read More » As a presidential order to establish an independent committee to investigate the recent massacres, security forces also reported the arrest of several individuals seen celebrating the killings of civilians in coastal areas. "Barbaric forces entered the region and committed massacres under the pretext of pursuing remnants of the old regime," coastal-based activist Nagham Selman, told MEE. "The responsibility lies with the state. "Practices such as excluding segments of society, failing to build constructive dialogue… and dismissing employees are among the main drivers of anger in the area." Fadel Abdul Ghany, executive director of SNHR, told MEE that the core of the issue was the systematic targeting of security forces, which has led to widespread anger. Alawi civilians meanwhile said they had continued to face varying levels of sectarian violence leading up to the latest escalation, despite promises from Sharaa to create a system that includes Syria's mosaic of religious and ethnic groups. "The killings were motivated by religious divisions. Many targeted Sunni communities, just as campaigns targeted Alawis," he said. SNHR reported that at least 803 extrajudicial killings were committed over a few days by all sides involved in the clashes, including Assad loyalists, government forces, groups loosely affiliated with the Syrian government and individual gunmen. Ghany stressed that SNHR follows strict documentation protocols, requiring names, photos, and verification from relatives. "Even if the process takes longer, we prioritise accuracy above all else," he said.
Middle East Eye
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Over 800 extrajudicial killings documented in coastal Syria violence
The recent surge in violence in coastal Syria has resulted in at least 803 extrajudicial killings, a war monitor said in a new report. According to the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), these killings were carried out by all sides involved in the clashes, including forces loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad, government forces, groups loosely affiliated with the Syrian government and individual gunmen. In what has been the deadliest incident since Assad's fall in early December, SNHR said Assad loyalists killed 172 members of the Syrian government's security, police, and military forces, along with 211 civilians. Armed forces participating in the military operations, which the monitor says include 'factions and unregulated groups nominally affiliated with the Ministry of Defence', killed at least 420 civilians and disarmed fighters, including 39 children, 49 women and 27 medical personnel. SNHR clarified that it is not counting the deaths of non-state armed group members in clashes, as it considers these fatalities to be legal. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters 'Serious violations' The report found that the Assad loyalist groups, who initiated the violence on Thursday, had carefully planned their attack and received training from military personnel who had served in the Assad government's forces prior to its downfall. 'The attacking groups demonstrated a high level of military training and expertise, which was evident in their use of advanced tactics such as road blockades, targeting supply lines, and isolating battlefronts,' the report read. Syrian Alawis sheltering in Lebanon say it isn't safe to return home Read More » These groups quickly overwhelmed the Syrian government's weak positions in the area and attacked government and civilian areas and properties. SNHR noted the targeting of cars with Idlib registration plates, as Idlib was the main opposition-held territory prior to the fall of Assad. As military confrontations escalated on Friday, the monitor said that 'the negative role of undisciplined armed groups supporting the authorities became apparent, as these forces were clearly not formally under the command of the ministries of defence and interior'. 'This resulted in a lack of control over these groups' actions, leading to their perpetrating violations against civilians and causing widespread damage to public and private property,' the report added. Civilians belonging to the Alawite sect, to which Assad and most of his loyalists belong, were particularly targeted in some of the attacks. When initially trying to retake areas captured by Assad loyalist remnants, Syrian government forces used artillery and rocket bombardments, resulting in additional civilian casualties. Executions and field killings were also documented, with entire families reportedly killed at times. 'Instances of direct clashes were also recorded between armed groups supporting the government's security forces on one side and elements of the Internal Security Forces who attempted to prevent indiscriminate killings on the other,' SNHR said. 'In some cases, these clashes escalated into armed confrontations between the two sides.' The report concluded that 'serious violations' took place over the four-day insurgency and held 'all parties' responsible for the bloodshed. It raised the alarm over increasing sectarianism in Syria and called for justice and accountability. In an interview with Reuters, Syrian Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said that his government had begun implementing measures to reassure Alawite citizens and bring them back home following the violence. 'I sent many committees to reassure people and bring them back,' he said. 'A large number of them returned. They were afraid of something. But when we removed the factions and some of those [fighters] who entered randomly, we sent many committees to bring them back to the country. God willing, everyone will return.'
