Tulsi Gabbard’s warnings about al-Qaeda affiliates massacring civilians in Syria have become a horrifying reality as nearly 1,000 people, predominantly from Alawite and Christian communities, have been slaughtered following the collapse of the Assad regime.
Key Takeaways
- Over 830 civilians have been killed in Syria in the past 72 hours, marking the deadliest violence since Assad’s fall, with the death toll expected to rise.
- The violence is concentrated in coastal Alawite strongholds of Tartus and Latakia, with reports of summary executions and bodies in streets.
- Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former Al-Qaeda affiliate and U.S.-designated terrorist group, has taken control after Assad’s removal.
- Tulsi Gabbard previously warned the Senate about the dangers of Assad’s regime collapsing, predicting the rise of terrorist groups that would massacre minorities.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio has blamed “radical Islamic terrorists” for the violence, while interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa struggles to establish control.
Gabbard’s Warnings Prove Prophetic as Violence Erupts
The deadliest violence since the fall of the Assad regime has erupted across Syria, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reporting at least 830 civilian deaths. More than 1,300 people total, including security forces and militants, have perished in intense fighting. The bloodshed is primarily concentrated in Syria’s coastal regions of Tartus and Latakia, longtime strongholds of the Alawite community that previously supported former President Bashar al-Assad before his regime collapsed in December.
Tulsi Gabbard, now serving as Director of National Intelligence, had previously warned about precisely this scenario during Senate hearings. Her cautions about terrorist takeovers and civilian massacres following Assad’s removal are now playing out as predicted. SOHR has described the killings as “the largest collective act of revenge,” with reports indicating that women and children have been executed by firing squads.
Extremist Groups Target Religious Minorities
The Alawite community, which once held power under Assad’s rule, is now the primary target of revenge killings reportedly carried out by Sunni gunmen. According to witnesses, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization and former al-Qaeda affiliate, has seized control of significant portions of the country. The situation has evolved exactly as Gabbard forecasted, with religious minorities bearing the brunt of the violence.
“I have no love for Assad or any dictator. I just hate al-Qaeda. I hate that our leaders cozy up to Islamist extremists, calling them ‘rebels’, as Jake Sullivan said to Hillary Clinton, ‘al Qaeda is on our side in Syria.’ Syria is now controlled by al-Qaeda offshoot HTS, led by an Islamist Jihadist who danced in the streets on 9/11, and who was responsible for the killing of many American soldiers,” Gabbard said during her confirmation hearing.
Christian communities are also facing systematic attacks. Multiple reports document families being executed by Islamist forces, adding to the mounting humanitarian catastrophe. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz described HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Julani as having “switched his robe for a suit” to present a moderate face, but now “he’s taken off the mask and exposed his true face: A jihadist terrorist of the al-Qaeda school who is committing horrifying acts against a civilian population.”
Government Response and International Reactions
Interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has called for peace amid the chaos, promising, “We will continue to pursue the remnants of the fallen regime… We will bring them to a fair court, and we will continue to restrict weapons to the state, and no loose weapons will remain in Syria.” However, his government’s efforts to assert control have led to fierce clashes with armed Assad loyalists who still hold territory in the northwest coast.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has blamed “radical Islamic terrorists” for the bloodshed and called for accountability. Syria’s presidency has announced the formation of an independent national committee to investigate the events, but as the violence continues to escalate, many question whether investigations will be effective.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
The Norwegian Refugee Council’s Syria country office director Federico Jachetti called the situation “a grim reminder that the situation in the country remains fragile.” Verified videos show bodies lying in the streets of Latakia amid explosions and gunfire. The Alawite community is desperately seeking international support, with numerous reports of residents fearing for their lives as mass killings continue. The massacres appear to be just beginning, with little sign of slowing down.
As the death toll rises and displacement increases, Gabbard’s warnings about the dangers of Assad’s removal without a stable replacement have proven to be tragically accurate. The power vacuum created by the regime’s collapse has indeed been filled by extremist groups, resulting in the very bloodshed she cautioned against. The unfolding humanitarian crisis highlights the consequences of strategic foreign policy decisions that failed to adequately plan for the aftermath of regime change in a region with deep sectarian divisions.
