Syria's government needs to centralise decision-making and bring armed groups to heel, but Kurds in the north-east want to establish a 'coalition of the unwilling' with Druze and Alawites. What now?
There is a huge misconception that Syria's Alawite community was a major benefactor of the Assad regime. But nothing is further from the truth. Al Majalla explains.
Regional states have come to the realisation that fighting 'axis' members individually will have little effect, and any tactical success will likely be short-lived