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Some Alawites Question Support for Syria's Assad
(Washington Post) Hugh Naylor - Members of the Alawite minority group, who number about 12% of the population and serve as the backbone of President Bashar al-Assad's regime, have become more critical of the regime's handling of Syria's civil war on social media and during rare protests. Alawites, who form the core of Assad's security forces, increasingly have avoided compulsory military service after their community has sustained huge casualties. The rising tension signals exhaustion in a community that is crucial for Assad's ability to confront a revolt that shows little sign of ending.