Israel urges U.S. to send military aid to Druze in Syria
Dempsey, who was in Israel on a farewell tour – he ends his term on 1 October – listened to Israeli suggestions that the United States rush humanitarian and military aid to the Druze from bases the United States maintain in Jordan, where American instructors are training moderate Syrian rebels.
Dempsey did not commit to U.S. action.
About 450,000 of Syria’s 700,000 Druze live in the Jabal al-Druze area. The Druze in the region are facing attacks by Sunni rebels from two directions: from the west the face the Southern Front – a newly formed alliance of rebel groups which includes both moderate elements supported by the United States but also the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra. From the east, the Druze face Islamic State militants.
In the last ten days, the Syrian 52nd Brigade collapsed and its forces fled the area toward Damascus, leaving its large military base to be captured by the Southern Front. The rebels also captured the Sweida military airfield in the Jabal al-Druze area.
Military observers say that the Druze have the manpower to form a self-defense militia: Since January, when the disintegration of the Syrian army became obvious, the Druze stopped sending young, military-age Druze to the Syrian military’s recruitment centers to be inducted into the Syrian army. The Druze thus have about 27,000 military-age men ready to serve in a Druze militia, plus about 2,500 52nd Brigade soldiers who decided to remain in the area and fight with the Druze rather than defend the Assad regime in Damascus.
The analysts say, though, that what the Druze lack are experienced commanders, a well-developed command structure, and heavy weapons.
The Druze are worried about Islamic State because fundamentalist Sunnis view the Druze as heretics, but even moderate and secular Sunnis resent the Druze because of their alliance with the Alawites and the Assad regime.
The Druze believe, though, that they will be able to reach an accommodation with the Southern Front, and even with Nusra which, of late, has become more tolerant in in its approach to secular Sunnis and non-Sunni Syrians.
Last week, after twenty Druze were killed in a village in Idlib Province in north Syria, the Nusra Front issued a statement of regret. The group said it had received, with “great sorrow,” news of the incident in which “a number of Nusra Front members” had taken part without consulting their leaders. All those involved would face trial in an Islamic court, Nusra added. “Everyone involved in this incident will be presented to a sharia court and held to account for blood proven to have been spilt.”
