Another Defection Stresses the Syrian Regime

The recent defection of a senior Alawite commander does not on its own indicate an imminent breakdown in the cohesion of Syria's loyalist forces, but it does point to the growing strain on President Bashar al Assad's regime as the rebel pressure on the critical Homs crossroads continues to escalate.

 

The regime has used significant resources to secure these crossroads, located between Damascus to the south and Aleppo to the north. And although this defection could inspire additional ones, the Alawite-majority regime forces so far have held together.