Megan Basham

And it's not just executions. Residents of Christian and Alawite cities and villages are also being displaced and their property is being seized. So across the country, HTS soldiers are allegedly harassing young Christians for not adhering to strict Sunni customs, like demanding Christian women cover up in Muslim garb. They've also reportedly been targeting men who have Christian tattoos.

In some areas like Damascus, Christians are protesting against but thousands are also fleeing to Lebanon or Russia as Putin was Assad's ally. And then one other interesting note here, the Alawites who again are Shia Muslims are calling on Israel to quote, save them from the brutal regime. In a letter to Benjamin Netanyahu, they wrote, we are a minority like you in the Middle East, help us.

In some areas like Damascus, Christians are protesting against but thousands are also fleeing to Lebanon or Russia as Putin was Assad's ally. And then one other interesting note here, the Alawites who again are Shia Muslims are calling on Israel to quote, save them from the brutal regime. In a letter to Benjamin Netanyahu, they wrote, we are a minority like you in the Middle East, help us.

And if you reach the Syrian coast, which is mostly Alawite, you will be received with songs and flowers. Hmm. So are these attacks religiously motivated or are there other factors as well? I would say it's both. Syria has been embroiled in civil war for more than a decade now, and those skirmishes are still continuing.

And if you reach the Syrian coast, which is mostly Alawite, you will be received with songs and flowers. Hmm. So are these attacks religiously motivated or are there other factors as well? I would say it's both. Syria has been embroiled in civil war for more than a decade now, and those skirmishes are still continuing.

So in rural areas where HTS has a weaker grip on power, targeting these religious minorities helps them exert some greater control. And also part of this is class-based, as the Alawites are more associated with the political elites, as Assad was. But, you know, this is a catch-22 that we see so often in the Middle East.

So in rural areas where HTS has a weaker grip on power, targeting these religious minorities helps them exert some greater control. And also part of this is class-based, as the Alawites are more associated with the political elites, as Assad was. But, you know, this is a catch-22 that we see so often in the Middle East.

Though Assad was by no means a good leader, he and his father before him did keep the region relatively stable. And those who opposed the U.S. meddling and trying to unseat him were concerned about these very kinds of alternatives. In fact, when President Trump first ran for office in 2016, he criticized Hillary Clinton over her support for arming anti-Assad rebel groups.

Though Assad was by no means a good leader, he and his father before him did keep the region relatively stable. And those who opposed the U.S. meddling and trying to unseat him were concerned about these very kinds of alternatives. In fact, when President Trump first ran for office in 2016, he criticized Hillary Clinton over her support for arming anti-Assad rebel groups.

This is what he told CNN at the time.

This is what he told CNN at the time.

And to that point, Syria's new president, Ahmad al-Sharra, who replaced Assad, is himself a former Islamic State and al-Qaeda terrorist.

And to that point, Syria's new president, Ahmad al-Sharra, who replaced Assad, is himself a former Islamic State and al-Qaeda terrorist.

The U.N. is calling for immediate action to protect civilians, and the U.S. has condemned the killings, specifically blaming radical Islamic terrorists. More pointed, the Israeli defense minister said Shara is showing his true face as a jihadist, though Shara denies this. He said these killings are a threat to his plan to bring unity to Syria.

The U.N. is calling for immediate action to protect civilians, and the U.S. has condemned the killings, specifically blaming radical Islamic terrorists. More pointed, the Israeli defense minister said Shara is showing his true face as a jihadist, though Shara denies this. He said these killings are a threat to his plan to bring unity to Syria.

But he has not yet acted to bring those loyalists who are acting in his name to heel.

But he has not yet acted to bring those loyalists who are acting in his name to heel.

Well, you know, I think what you're seeing is some careful PR management surrounding a program that has been significantly slowed down by the courts and has become a key target for Democrats. I think some of that has spooked Republican lawmakers. Reportedly, the president has been hearing from them.

Well, you know, I think what you're seeing is some careful PR management surrounding a program that has been significantly slowed down by the courts and has become a key target for Democrats. I think some of that has spooked Republican lawmakers. Reportedly, the president has been hearing from them.

And then last Thursday, he posted on Truth Social that these cuts are going to be made using a scalpel rather than a hatchet. And he also stressed that the cabinet secretaries will be making the final calls on these cuts. And that's something that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick emphasized on Meet the Press on Sunday.