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Shia Fighters Tip Balance in Assad's Favor in Syria
(Financial Times-UK) Erika Solomon - Shia Muslim foreign fighters are coming to Syria to fight for President Assad in numbers that some observers argue match or even outnumber the Sunni militants who have joined the armed opposition. The mobilization of Shia fighters appears to be more successful than that of their Sunni counterparts, some argue, because it is organized and encouraged by Iran, from where recruits are trained and sent to Syria in groups. Tehran's systematic support makes Shia fighters a more unified force than the Sunni foreign fighters who tend to travel alone to Syria and join disparate groups. A tool used to motivate Shia fighters is the sect's own apocalyptic scripture, which predicts that the savior, or Hidden Imam, will return after a massive battle in Syria.