A reader writes:
I don’t agree with James Baker or Professor Ferguson that the United States can flip Syria by appealing to pan-Sunni identity. The professor states:
"Rather, as he explained to the press this week, it is to ‘flip the Syrians’ by appealing to Sunni solidarity… In other words: get the leaders of all Iraq’s neighbours into the same room and play ‘spot the Shia’."
In reality, although the majority of common Syrians may be Sunni, the top Syrian leadership is dominated by Alawites. The Alawites are a sect of Shia Islam and have no great love for Sunnis. The Alawites claim to be Twelvers and have historically been regarded as extremists. It is no surprise then that the Alawites, including the Assad dictators, have supported Hizb’Allah and Iran during these apocalyptic times (for Shias).
The Dish 