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Minority Alawites Like Assad Dominate In Syria

June 11, 2012

Throughout the uprising in Syria, President Bashar Assad has been able to count on strong support in own sect, the Alawites. But recent reports suggest that a small but growing number of Alawites are abandoning Assad. Melissa Block speaks with Steven Heydemann, senior adviser for Middle East Initiatives at the United States Institute of Peace, about who the Alawites are and how they came to rule Syria.
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June 11, 2012

Throughout the uprising in Syria, President Bashar Assad has been able to count on strong support in own sect, the Alawites. But recent reports suggest that a small but growing number of Alawites are abandoning Assad. Melissa Block speaks with Steven Heydemann, senior adviser for Middle East Initiatives at the United States Institute of Peace, about who the Alawites are and how they came to rule Syria.

Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
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