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Syria: Bedouin Clan Joins Sweida Protests

Photo of Sweida protests (Facebook)
Photo of Sweida protests (Facebook)
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Syria: Bedouin Clan Joins Sweida Protests

Photo of Sweida protests (Facebook)
Photo of Sweida protests (Facebook)

Bedouin clans in southern Syria joined the popular protests taking place in Sweida Governorate for the fifth day in a row.

Local sources in the region told Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday that a delegation of youth from the southern tribes arrived at Al-Seer Square in the city of Sweida, and joined the protesters, declaring their solidarity with the popular uprising, and chanting: “Bedouins and Druze are hand in hand.”

Video clips broadcasted by the Sweida 24 website showed young Bedouin tribesmen from the south joining the protesters, amid welcoming cheers from the region’s Druze population, the sources reported.

They stressed that the move came in response to attempts by the security services during the past decades to ignite discord between the Druze and the Sunni Bedouin communities.

The participation of the Bedouin clans is an important shift in the course of the protests, which no longer represent a specific sect, but rather the majority of the Syrian population, the sources underlined. It also highlights the historical relations that linked Sweida with its surrounding Bedouin clans, in the face of all those who tried to sow discord during the past years.

This came hours after Damascus made an attempt to contain the protests by assigning the governor of Sweida, Bassam Parsik, to meet with the spiritual head of the Druze community, Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri, in the town of Qanawat, on Wednesday evening.

Media reports said that the governor was dispatched by Damascus to calm down the situation and offer a set of solutions. However, Al-Hijri rejected the proposal, saying that the matter did not require mediation.

“There won’t be any contacts before the demands of the street are met,” he stated.

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Lebanese Judge Questions Former Top Security Chiefs over Beirut Port Blast

FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2020 file photo, a drone picture shows the destruction after an explosion at the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)
FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2020 file photo, a drone picture shows the destruction after an explosion at the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)
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Lebanese Judge Questions Former Top Security Chiefs over Beirut Port Blast

FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2020 file photo, a drone picture shows the destruction after an explosion at the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)
FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2020 file photo, a drone picture shows the destruction after an explosion at the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)

The Lebanese judge investigating the massive 2020 Beirut port explosion questioned two former security chiefs on Friday, including a former head of the General Security Directorate who appeared in court for the first time since being summoned nearly four years ago, according to four judicial and two security officials.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. The hearings mark a rare breakthrough in the long-stalled probe, The Associated Press said.
Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim and former head of State Security Maj. Gen. Tony Saliba, are among several officials charged in connection with the blast that killed over 220 people. The specific charges have not been disclosed.​
Ibrahim appeared in court for the first time, where Judge Tarek Bitar questioned him about the operations of the General Security Directorate during his tenure and requested related documents, which Ibrahim’s lawyer is expected to submit next week.
Ibrahim, who headed the General Security Directorate between 2011 and 2023, is known for wide connections with local, regional and international figures, including the Iran-backed militant Hezbollah group, the Syrian government and Western nations, making him a key political mediator.
Ibrahim’s attorneys said in a statement that the former General Security chief appeared in court despite having previously filed a legal challenge against Judge Bitar and despite claiming that he was immune from prosecution.
His attorneys said he appeared as a “mark of respect for the families of the martyrs and victims, his belief in justice and truth, and his commitment to upholding legal procedures and the course of justice.”
Saliba, appearing in court for the fourth time, cooperated with the hearing, providing documentation pertaining to his role at State Security. After the hearing, Saliba described the proceedings as “positive" in a statement.
On Aug. 4, 2020, hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate detonated in a Beirut Port warehouse, killing at least 218 people, injuring more than 6,000 and devastating large swaths of the capital. The blast, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history, caused billions of dollars in damage and sent shockwaves through the nation’s capital.
Following years of political obstruction, Bitar resumed the stalled investigation in mid-January, questioning port and customs employees, retired military officials, the former head of port security, the former army intelligence director, and 12 witnesses.
This development coincides with significant political changes in Lebanon, including the election of Joseph Aoun as president and the appointment of Nawaf Salam as prime minister. Both are perceived as outside the traditional political establishment, which includes many figures charged in the port explosion case.​
Several officials implicated in the investigation have accused Bitar of bias, refused to testify, and filed legal complaints against him.
Next week, Bitar is expected to question top former political leaders. Former Prime Minister Hassan Diab, who was in office at the time of the port explosion and is among those charged by Bitar, is scheduled to appear in court in May. His hearing will be followed by the questioning of four judges.
Meanwhile, a French delegation is expected to submit their findings from their investigation into the explosion later in April. France initiated its own probe into the explosion in 2020 after three French nationals were killed in the blast. However, French judges have faced obstacles accessing documents from the Lebanese investigation, which has been hindered by political interference.