Report Details Syrian Rebel Massacre Against Alawite Villagers
At Least 190 Villagers Slain in Offensive
A new Human Rights Watch report details massive war crimes committed by Syrian rebel factions against civilians in the nation’s northwestern Latakia Province. The incident took place in early August.
The rebels, led by al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) fighters, moved against a handful of Alawite villages in the province in early August, going house to house, massacring adult men and taking the women and children hostage.
The rebels killed at least 190 villages all told in the offensive, and took over 200 other civilians hostage, who months later are still not released. AQI and the other factions involved had bragged about the attacks regularly at the time.
The US-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) appears to have been involved in the massacres as well. FSA leader Salim Idriss bragged of this involvement in a video less than a week after the killings, saying that they were taking part in the Latakia offensive “to a great extent.” The scope of the FSA’s involvement is not confirmed, however.
Syrian President Bashar Assad is a member of the Alawite religion, and Sunni Islamist rebel factions have regularly targeted Alawite civilians as presumptive “sympathizers.” Such attacks have of course rendered the Alawites less than sympathetic toward the rebels.
Last 5 posts by Jason Ditz
- US, Growing Impatient, Likely to Miss Deadline on Afghan Deal - October 11th, 2013
- Analysts: US Military Aid Cut to Egypt Largely 'Symbolic' - October 11th, 2013
- Al-Qaeda Chief: Moderate Islamists to Blame for Recent Setbacks - October 11th, 2013
- Libya PM: Kidnapping Was Attempted Coup by Political Rivals - October 11th, 2013
- Iran Govt Pushes Reforms, But Hardliner Objections Remain - October 11th, 2013
john g
October 11th, 2013 at 9:00 pm
HRW has suddenly discovered that the rebels aren't pure? I'd bet that they're trying to salvage some credibility after their chemical weapons "report" was roundly trashed.
Bianca
October 11th, 2013 at 9:47 pm
So, WHICH group is US supporting? Does it have a name? FSA not only participated in this massacre, but also massacres of villages around Maloula, and inside Maloula. FSA is also a fiction, as majority are really Salafis. ENOUGH OF AL-QAEDA nonsense. These are all various strains of Salafis, mostly Sunnis from Iraq. As it is turnig out, FSA is trying to ditch the Salafis, that is foreign Salafis, and is trying to keep only its national core. And it is dwindling. The news is, such diminished FSA has representatives sent to talks with Government. They are trying to clean up before peace conference. In the meantime, who is fianancing all other hundreds of Salafi groups? Who? Turkey is not, as they support FSA only, and not FSA wannabes, Salafis. It is a murky picture, but it is all about money. Whoever brings these people — from far away as Bosnia and Kosovo, pays for these mercenaries. And their families get compensation for their death. It is a well oiled system, and works exclusively through Salafi communities paid by Saudis.
Jack London
October 11th, 2013 at 10:11 pm
Wake up human watch, amnesty international, all other humanitarian organizations and religious organizations, wake up USA Democratic Party and other political parties, the barbarians are at the gate uniformed or not they are knocking the gate down. Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and Madeline Albright, this is real and true ethnic cleansing, the argument which your lies created the Balkan war dividing nations and Yugoslavia for vulture capitalism, the oil companies this is where your argument have taken you.
jtt
October 12th, 2013 at 4:06 am
Those organizations are puppets of the US government and Israel, when they say 'jump' they ask how high. Lets see if Kerry and his gang will threating his "moderate rebels" with cruise missiles.
Rade Pajovic
October 12th, 2013 at 8:44 am
Large number of fanatic salafis from Bosnia,Western Serbia and Kosovo are in Siria fighting for Al Kaida!
Arius
October 12th, 2013 at 1:14 pm
The US has been aiding and abetting jihadis that are raping and murdering Christians and also Muslims that say No to the 7th century since 2011 in Syria.
Arius
October 12th, 2013 at 1:19 pm
Israel has nothing to do with the NATO attack on Yugoslavia and support of jihadis in the Balkans. Israeli intelligence and government leaders were opposed to the NATO attack on Yugoslavia, but could do nothing to stop it.
As for the US destabilizing Syria, the US is operating out of a command base in Jordan and we know from reports that the CIA is running jihadis into Syria out of Jordan. So far I see no evidence that Israel is running jihadis into Syria over its border with Syria. There is evidence that jihadis are fleeing the Syrian army into Israel.
redwood
October 12th, 2013 at 2:35 pm
The NRA says the American people need guns to protect themselves from criminals and foreign invaders. The Alawite of Syria need guns to protect themselves from the rebels no matter whom they are and to protect themselves from the American and other foreign invaders if the invasion takes place.