This is CBS Eye on the World.

Here's John Batchelor.

I welcome John Bolton, who's going to help me carefully with his Al-Arabia piece,

former National Security Advisor, former Ambassador of the United Nations.

John and I have been talking for decades about the fog of war in the Middle East.

No more anywhere dangerous right now than Syria, that darkness visible of Syria.

There is a new administration regime in Damascus, headed by a self-named man named Al-Shara. Over these last days, there's

been a report of massacres of Druze in Sueda province, southernmost Syria. The information I have

comes from Druze in this country talking to their relatives, their moms, their dads, their

daughters back in Duwaita. The story is told that this massacre was

organized and directed out of the capital of Damascus and that the Alshara regime government

administration is entirely aware of and responsible for the massacre. That is a claim made by reporting from the regime.

The important thing is that the IAF at some point responded to the early reports of the massacre

by striking the Ministry of Defense in Damascus. Immediately afterwards, the massacre stopped.

John, a very good evening to you.

Your article in Al-Arabia identifies this as part of a symptom of the dangers of Syria.

How do you see Al-Shara right now, a man who has shaken the hands of the president in the

presence of Muhammad bin Salman and been fetid by overseas embassies.

Good evening to you.

Good evening, John.

You know, I am not convinced that HTS and its leader Al-Shara really have renounced

terrorism.

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