Nearly 1,000 Alawites have been murdered in recent days in horrific massacres carried out by Islamist forces in western Syria. While the UN stammers and the world once again stands idly by, the regime in Damascus is attempting to project an image of control and has announced the formation of an investigative committee into the attacks carried out by its own forces. Alawites who spoke with Israel Hayom are calling on Israel to strike the ruling militias and are distancing themselves from the Assad regime.
Meanwhile, a security official from the Syrian coastal region claimed last night that remnants of the Assad regime are receiving indirect assistance from Iran and that "foreign elements are seeking to exploit the situation" to provide logistical and media support to the militants.
"The [Syrian government's] committee is dismissed by us. This is not what will satisfy us. Only decisions by the UN, human rights organizations, and countries that stand with the Syrian people will be acceptable. They are the ones who need to establish an investigative committee," said an Alawite from the coastal region in a conversation with Israel Hayom. He had lived in a village near Tartus and fled with his children to the city to escape the massacres. "Al-Julani and his group are failing to govern. But they won't admit it and are trying to shirk responsibility."
He sends a direct plea to Israel: "We are calling on you and on everyone. We don't want him [Al-Julani]. Get rid of him. When we decided to hold protests to overthrow Al-Julani's regime, they raised their weapons and opened fire on demonstrators. I hope you convey the message that this is a corrupt regime, just like its predecessor, a murderous, criminal regime. It must not survive. Israel must defend us and strike with its air force all factions affiliated with Al-Julani in the Syrian coastal region, including in Latakia, Tartus, and their suburbs. No country is responding to our cries, not even the Russians, who have been in our land for years. Israel is the only one that can protect us."
What would you say to Israeli officials who believe the Alawites were part of Assad's regime, which was an enemy of Israel?
"Not all Alawites supported Assad. Some were forced to because any criticism of him meant imprisonment or execution. Sunnis also supported Assad and his regime, it wasn't just the Alawites. But some of the poorer Alawites were never on his side. Only the wealthy elite of the country and the thieves like the Assad family and his wife's family were truly with him."
The Syrian resident warns that the genocide is far from over: "The massacres won't stop. Every day, there's another massacre. Stop them with your airstrikes, and we will thank you. They are killing us, targeting the Alawites. They cursed us, shot at us, burned our property. They are forcing people at gunpoint to sign over their money, homes, and cars. These are Al-Julani's factions and other Sunni collaborators. They are dropping barrel bombs from planes onto our villages. They loot homes and burn us alive after carrying out mass executions by gunfire and slaughter."
The resident also addressed the Syrian government's media efforts to cover up the massacres: "They sent the governor of Latakia and other officials to cleanse their image before public opinion and the UN. They even went to the Russian Hmeimim airbase to tell people to return to their homes and that they were safe. But all the residents refused to return out of fear for their lives. They told them: 'The Russians feed us and take care of us. You will kill us. We haven't seen any aid or food coming from you or Al-Julani.'"
He continued: "Today (March 9), armed factions, some from Idlib, some foreign, attacked the village of Al-Bahluliya in Latakia province. They carried out massacres against the people and against the Alawites. Until this very moment, the residents are begging for protection, but no one is answering them."
Attacks on new regime's forces sparked massacres
The resident also testified about a massacre in the village of Al-Anaza in Tartus province: "A convoy of dozens of vehicles entered from the city of Baniyas into the village and stopped at the high school. Several gunmen got out and killed the local sheikh for no reason. Then they entered the home of Mohammad Wanous and executed him along with his wife and two children. Perhaps this was the convoy that finished the massacre in Baniyas and was then directed to carry out new massacres."
However, a Syrian from Latakia told Israel Hayom that the organized attacks on the new regime's security forces were what triggered the massacres. According to him, "Since March 6, there has been a coordinated attack on Syria's security forces and police. That night, they killed 120 young security and police personnel, wounded others, captured dozens, and imposed a siege. Civilians were also killed."
As a result, he explained, civilians found themselves defenseless since there was no longer any security force or police presence: "The outcome of this attack was opening the door to this chaos. That night, I treated a journalist who was injured while covering the battles between remnants of the regime and security forces. We were besieged for about 13 hours."
He added, "The massacres did not occur in central Latakia but in the suburbs and mountains." At this stage, he noted, the situation in the city itself is relatively stable. Regarding the investigative committee established to look into the events, he called it a justified decision and expressed hope that it would be implemented seriously.
