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Lebanon's Druze Leader Attacks Syrian Government Over Massacre

by Reuters

   BEIRUT --

   The main leader of the Druze sect in Lebanon on Friday attacked the
   Syrian government for failing to stop an Islamic State massacre of
   Druze in Syria, saying it should have noticed the militants gathering
   to attack.

   "No one can tell me that the squadrons of many American, Russian and
   foreign planes did not see this gathering which suddenly took the
   regime by surprise and raided Jebel al-Arab," said Walid Jumblatt.

   Islamic State's assault on the city of Sweida and nearby villages in
   the Jebel al-Arab area on Thursday killed more than 200 people, many of
   them civilians.

   Syrian state media said the army had intervened and battled the
   militants with both ground forces and airstrikes.

   Jumblatt, who heads the largest Druze political party in Lebanon, is a
   strong critic of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

   Other Druze parties are pro-Damascus.

   He also accused Assad of wanting to send Druze from the Jebel al-Arab
   area, including Sweida, to fight in a future offensive against rebels
   in Idlib province in northern Syria.

   Many community leaders and top Druze religious leaders have refused to
   sanction enlistment in the army during Syria's seven-year conflict.

   "They want to sacrifice the youths of Jebel al-Arab in Idlib," Jumblatt
   said.

   He asked Assad's main ally, Russia, to help prevent that: "We want its
   [Russia's] guarantee to the people of the Jebel that they will remain
   in the Jebel and not be used by Bashar as fodder, living or dead, for
   his personal ends."