https://www.yourish.com/2011/02/01/13376 Cutting straight to the point Wed, 02 Feb 2011 05:34:44 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://www.yourish.com/2011/02/01/13376/comment-page-1#comment-43121 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 05:34:44 +0000 http://www.yourish.com/?p=13376#comment-43121 hmm, Syria’s a tricky bit of business. Because the Assads are Alawi (a minority within a minority), there’s relative religious freedom (for Christians and Muslims, hmm? [hmph!]). Ba’ath Party, right? Yeah, there are some similarities to Hussein’s regime: general religious/ethnic freedom .. until somebody became a perceived threat. The only group in Syria who are outright outlawed are followers of (vaguely defined) Salifism .. in short, Saudi-sponsored fundamentalists. So, um, from Israel’s point of view, you presently have a state that is *politically* (i.e., secularly) aligned against it versus .. the potential emergence of a state led by the sort of people who are presently crossing into Iraq from Saudi Arabia to blow themselves up in crowded (Shia) places. on the other hand, it would take a *lot* to make that happen in Syria, a (generally) secular society. but who knows where the next (sorta) “revolution” is going to happen? i’ve heard some things from out of Albania, but that poor country falls so far below the U.S. radar that it’s difficult to hear much !

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