Source: Antiwar.com
by Ted Galen Carpenter
“For more than four decades, the Assad family – which is Alawite – remained in power because of the loyalty of its Alawite bloc and its loose alliance with Christians, Druze, and other smaller ethnic groups. What erupted in 2011 quickly became a largely Sunni Arab bid backed by Turkey and Saudi Arabia to overthrow Assad’s ‘coalition of religious minorities’ government. Assad’s ouster may well open the door to tyranny and persecution of minorities by a new Sunni-dominated regime. Nevertheless, some U.S. officials and opinion leaders, especially during Barack Obama’s administration, openly advocated cooperation with Al Qaeda and its allies.” (12/18/24)