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The Biden administration’s actions in Syria have drawn sharp criticism from the Trump administration, which is now demanding accountability following reports of renewed violence against religious and ethnic minorities by terrorist forces controlling the nation.
In a strongly worded statement released Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced the radical Islamist terrorists, including foreign jihadis, responsible for recent murders in western Syria.
“The United States stands with Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities, including its Christian, Druze, Alawite, and Kurdish communities, and offers its condolences to the victims and their families,” continued Rubio. “Syria’s interim authorities must hold the perpetrators of these massacres against Syria’s minority communities accountable.”
Radical Islamic extremists are rounding up and murdering Christians in Syria
Where are all the self proclaimed human rights organizations??? pic.twitter.com/eUAqPFQspQ
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) March 9, 2025
The situation deteriorated after Turkish-backed Islamic militants, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), overthrew Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December. Despite former President Joe Biden hailing this as “a fundamental act of justice,” HTS is a U.S.-designated terrorist organization with ties to Al-Qaeda, which Hillary Clinton had previously suggested in 2012 was “on our side in Syria.”
Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, HTS’s leader and a specially designated global terrorist, assumed Syria’s presidency in late January. Initially, he portrayed the regime change as beneficial for all Syrians and suggested a more tolerant approach toward minorities. This rhetoric convinced several American officials and media figures of potential positive change.
However, recent events have shattered these optimistic predictions. The conflict escalated when Assad loyalists, primarily Alawites, launched an attack near Latakia and seized control of Assad’s hometown, Qardaha. The Jolani regime’s response was swift and brutal, deploying massive security forces that killed hundreds of loyalists.
The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported devastating civilian casualties, with at least 973 people killed in 39 separate massacres. The violence has particularly targeted religious and ethnic minorities, prompting British parliamentarian Andrew Rosindell to compare it to Hamas’s October 7 attacks on Israel.
Donald Trump in 2015:
“The problem in Syria is we have no idea who the other side are. Maybe we’re better off with Assad. We give (the Rebels) weapons and ammunition but, to me, Assad looks better than the other side.”
How right he was! 💯 pic.twitter.com/2JBeNSmciR
— Cillian (@CilComLFC) March 9, 2025
The situation has sparked a humanitarian crisis, with thousands of Christians and Alawites fleeing the coastal region. Some have sought refuge at a Russian air base in Hmeimim. While regime officials acknowledge civilian deaths, they deflect responsibility by blaming unorganized civilians and fighters.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz criticized al-Jolani’s deceptive moderate facade, describing him as “a jihadist terrorist from the Al-Qaeda school, committing atrocities against the Alawite civilian population.”
Christian Solidarity, a European organization, reported that Damascus called for volunteer mobilization while Sunni mosques across Syria issued calls for jihad in the coastal region.
Looking ahead to the 2024 election, President Donald Trump has committed to protecting persecuted Christians. Vice President JD Vance reinforced this stance in October, writing, “The United States should fight against the persecution of Christians all over the world, and it will when President Trump is back in the White House.”
