The Alawites in Syria are 12% of the population. Assad is a Alawite. The majority of the nation is Sunni Muslim to 74%.

The West could easily arm the Sunni Muslims and watch as they annihilate 12% of the population including Assad. That is called ethnic cleansing

The Alawites at one point were persecuted and tortured until Hafez al-Assad took power in 1971. He ruled until 2000. Not surprisingly Bashar al-Assad took power as President of Syria in 2000.

Besides these two ethnic groups there are smaller populations of Kurds (Kurdistan), Christian and Hebrew.

Riding USA tanks into Syria as if Iraq is not going to happen. The parties have to negotiate for a peace, otherwise, there will be war for a long time.

Part of what is feeding the instability in the region are the Kurds.


Kurdistan encompasses Syria, Iran, Iraq and Turkey. The instability in the region is profound because there are many, many interests seeking power. This is going to go on for awhile and it is up to the people to decide they need to stop killing each other and live within their borders or not.

WW III is not going to happen because the ethnics can't get along.