The United States and European Union came to polar opposite conclusions over the recent massacres of Alawites, Christians, and other Syrian minorities by government forces.

On Thursday, anti-government forces rose up in Syria’s coastal provinces, killing dozens of government soldiers and capturing equipment. Syrian President Abu Mohammad al Julani sent thousands of troops to the area in response, and they brutally cracked down on the opposition. The wrath of the militants quickly spread to the Alawite civilians, a minority Shiite offshoot sect.