Barrack Turns on Druze Fighters: 'Militias Fill the Vacuum'
RastinewsUS Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack has aimed harsh criticism at Druze armed groups in remarks on the situation in Sweida. Barrack branded forces operating outside state authority in the region as "militias," arguing that the right to bear arms should belong to the Damascus government alone.
The remarks followed a raid on the home of Atef Hunaidi, a Druze figure opposed to the line taken by Druze leader Hikmat al-Hijri, after which Hunaidi was detained.
Barrack said Hunaidi had been "arbitrarily detained and taken from his home," adding: "Where there is no governance, militias fill the vacuum."
But Barrack's message reached well beyond the Hunaidi case. The US envoy tied the future of armed groups in Sweida directly to the question of integration with Damascus, saying the state alone should hold the right to use armed force, and called for Sweida to come back under the authority of the central government.
Barrack's language stands out given the province's recent history, in which Damascus-aligned forces have been accused of grave abuses against the Druze. Much of the region's Druze armed presence justifies itself precisely by that mistrust of Damascus and by security concerns.
Barrack did not entirely wave away past abuses by Damascus forces, saying those responsible must be held accountable. But Washington's proposed solution remained unchanged: Sweida is to be integrated into Damascus, armed groups outside the state are to be dismantled, and the monopoly on arms is to rest with the central government.
That framing lifts Barrack's "militias" remark above a mere reaction to one detention. It also signals which political line Washington backs on Sweida: even as Druze distrust of Damascus persists, the US continues to point to Damascus as the answer.