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Wall Street Journal

The Fallout From Syria's Massacres

Syria is set to release an internal report Tuesday concerning responsibility for the March massacres of some 1,500 Alawites by regime forces and militias. Its findings arrive with impeccable timing—right after new massacres by regime-aligned forces have wound down in Sweida in southern Syria. This time they targeted the Druze minority. Syria's ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa can tell his investigative committee to get back to work, but hard questions remain about the former al Qaeda commander's regime. Why, after Syrian regulars withdrew from Sweida on Thursday morning for a cease-fire—after executing dozens of Druze in the field—were large forces of irregulars from Bedouin tribes then allowed to attack the non-Muslim minority? Hundreds have died since July 13, and videos circulated of atrocities on both sides, including one of three Druze men forced to jump off a building. Trump envoy Ric Grenell shared a report of a Druze American from Oklahoma executed with his Syrian family. For crucial days Damascus declined to block the few roads carrying Sunni tribal forces pledging revenge against the Druze to the fighting in Sweida. 'We are grateful to the tribes for their heroic actions,' Mr. Sharaa said on Saturday. He asked merely that they let the state handle security. When will the tribes be disarmed, as he demands of the Druze and Kurds?