Instead, with brutal displays of force—nearly all of it captured on cell-phone cameras—the Syrian leader managed to unite much of the country against him. He still controlled considerable assets. Of twenty-one million Syrians, Assad could reliably depend on members of his minority Alawite sect, which controlled the country’s elite army divisions and the security services. The remaining 87 percent of the population would have to be bought off or subdued. But how long could that last? Not long. That was the consensus view of White House officials who watched Syria implode in the spring and
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