The retreat of military forces in Damascus, Syria, appears to be imminent. There is evidence that the regime's minority Alawite support base now doubts the sustainability of the al Assad clan. Defectors, including Alawite troops, reportedly are crossing into neighboring Turkey and Lebanon. But leaving the country is fraught with danger; there are several rebel-controlled checkpoints, including Homs, between Damascus and Latakia province, the location of Alawite strongholds in the mountainous northwestern coast. Many Alawites are opting instead to circumvent Homs by first crossing into Lebanon through the Al Masna' border station in the central Bekaa Valley, heading north and then crossing into the Syrian coastal area through the Abbudisya/Dabussiya border station in northern Lebanon.
