Khaberni - An official in the Syrian-American Coalition said that a conference was held in the American capital Washington, at the invitation of Druze personalities and with the presence of members of Congress, to support the stance of Sheikh Hekmat Al-Hijri, one of the Druze community leaders in Suwayda Governorate, in facing the Syrian authorities led by President Ahmad Al-Shar`.
Samer Al-Safadi, the political affairs consultant in the coalition, added that the conference was small-scale and attended by Congress members, some of whom had previously visited Syria, like Representatives Marlyn Stotsman and Cory Mills.
He mentioned that the conference supported Al-Hijri's positions, noting that the goal of the conference was to push towards supporting Al-Hijri's demands and "holding the Syrian government accountable for the described violations in Suwayda".
Al-Safadi confirmed that the Syrian-American alliance continues its work with Congress members, doubting that the conference would have a significant impact due to its small size and limited attendance.
Controversy in Suwayda
In the field context, a post by the internal security director in Suwayda, Suleiman Abdul-Baqi, stirred wide controversy on social media, after announcing the impending entry of Syrian government forces into the city.
Abdul-Baqi confirmed in his Facebook post that the entry is imminent and aims to restore the prestige of the law and protect the residents, and not for retaliation.
He emphasized that rights are preserved for their owners, and that accountability will be carried out according to law, not chaos, with a focus on implementing reconstruction, agriculture, education, and combating drugs and kidnapping through official institutions, to ensure a safe city free of loose weapons and gangs.
For his part, Director of the media office in the Suwayda security directorate, Qutaiba Azam, told Al Jazeera Net that the exit of Prince Abu Yahya Hassan Al-Atrash (Prince of Dar Ara), a prominent social and traditional figure in Suwayda Governorate, from the southwestern rural area of the city to Damascus was secured.
An informed source indicated that the anticipated operation against the "National Guard" forces affiliated with Al-Hijri might be similar to a previous operation against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), with emphasis on avoiding violations, amid widespread security deployment in the governorate.
The source mentioned that the advance of the government forces might push Al-Hijri to sign an agreement that would dissolve the "National Guard" and allow the entry of security forces in exchange for benefits related to appointments.
The source also reported that the Druze spiritual leader in Israel, Mowafaq Tarif, informed Al-Hijri that the Israeli army is unable to support the establishment of an independent state, and that their direction should be Damascus, as he described.
Al-Hijri had previously rejected an initiative by the Governor of Suwayda, Mustafa Bakur, for national dialogue, which called for forming a dialogue committee comprising various parties to discuss issues calmly.
