>>1069497 (previous bread)
Islam is comprised of different religious sects which greatly dislike each other. The largest denomination (over 80%) is Sunni. The second largest (~12%) is Shia. In Syria, the population looks something like this:
74%: Sunni
13%: Shia of which ~10% are Alawi (a sub branch of Shia)
10%: Christian
3%: Other
The President of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, is an Alawi. His predecessor was his father, Hafez al-Assad, who was also an Alawi. Father Assad assumed power in 1971 after a coup. He successfully transformed the country into a regional power. He also elevated the minority Alwais into positions where they control the entire government, military, and important economic sectors. Son Assad continued the practices of his father.
How does a small group (10%) gain and retain total power over the rest (90%) of the population and institutions for over 45 years? Think! How did the rebels stage a chemical attack when locals interviewed in this area saw nothing unusual? Think!
The attack most likely was fake like we all suspected. It wasn't the rebels who staged it because these people would have seen and said something. An oppressed population rarely speaks out against its own oppressive government. Why? Think!