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ShiiteFortressandSunniWastelandinSyria'sHoms

19June2012

BEIRUT(Reuters)-Theviewfromtherooftopsmakesthebalanceofpowerclear.Insomeneighborhoods,carsandpeoplescurryabout.Inothers,onlythescarredshellsofemptyhomesremain.

AftermonthsoffiercemilitaryassaultsandrebelambushesinHoms,thecentreofSyria's15-month-oldrevoltagainstPresidentBasharal-Assadhaseffectivelybecometwocities.

Alongthescorchedandcrumblingskylineisawell-preservedarchipelagoofdistricts,hometoSyria'sminorityAlawitesect,theoffshootofShi'iteIslamtowhichAssadbelongs.

AlawiteshavemostlysidedwithAssadandhavebarricadedthemselvesinHoms-protectedbytheSyrianarmythathasnowmadetheirneighborhoodsasecondhome.

"We'realwaysnervous,butwewillstayandsurvive,"saysAbuAli,a60-yearoldsittinginhisminimarketintheAlawiteneighborhoodofZahra.

"ItistheSunniareasthatareempty-atleasttheonesthataskedfor'freedom',"hesaid,referringtodistrictsthatbackedthemainlySunniMuslimuprisin

gagainstAssad.

TherebelliousdistrictsthatoncebelongedtoSunniMuslimsareghosttowns.Onlyaboutthreeofthe16Sunnidistrictshavenotbeenpummeledbymilitaryassaults.

ManyAlawitessaytheyfeeltheyhavenochoicebuttobackAssad,fearingretaliatoryslaughterforreligiousaffiliationwiththepresidentastherevoltbecomesincreasinglysectarian.

"TheSunnishavebeenoppressed,"saidoneAlawiteman."ButAlawiteswillbethevictims."

AbuAlisettlesinhischairascansandjarslinedupinhisstorerattlefromthedailyburstsofgunfireandrockets.Behindhim,anAssadportraitadornsthebackwall.

"Thoseotherpeoplearetheterrorists,"hesays,pointingtoseveralcasesofAlawitesbeingkidnappedorkilledbyrebels."Icantellyouwhatishappening:War."

SLEEPINGINBUTCHERSHOPS

Morepeoplearestartingtoagree.TheUnitedNations'peacekeepingchiefrecentlysaidSyria'sconflictlookedlikeacivilwar.

Whilemanyareashavestillescapedsectarianbrutality,theheartofSyria'sconflictisachillingglimpseofwhattheworstcasescenariomaybe:abloodystrugglethattearsthecountryintoajigsawofwarringstatelets.

TheSyriangovernmentdescribesrebelsfightingAssadasforeign-backedterroristsandaccusesinternationalmediaofmisrepresentingthesituationasapopularuprisingagainstthepresident.Butitallowslittleaccesstothecountryforforeigncorrespondents.

ThecityofHomswasoncethecountry'sindustrialcentre,sittingonSyria'sma

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innorth-southhighway,30km(20miles)eastoftheborderwithLebanon.

Itbecamethestrongholdofthearmedinsurgencythatbeganseveralmonthsagoandovertookthepeacefulprotestsagainst42yearsofAssadfamilyrule.

WithSunniareaspoundedintoashambles,refugeestoopoortoleaveHomshavefewoptions.

MostendupintheWaardistrict,ajungleofconcreteapartmentblocksthathousedtheSunnielite.Waar'saffluentresidentsfledthecity'schaos.Soonrefugeesbrokeinandtookovertheirabandonedapartments.

Alldownthestreets,shopshavebeenseizedbyrefugees.Atabutchershop,afamilyhashungblanketsacrossthemeathooksoutsidetocovertheglassstorefront.

Refugeeshaveevenmovedintoshoppingmalls,andtheformerstoresarenowcrammedwithblanketsandstoves

Outside,AbuOmarlooksforhandoutsforhissixchildren,whohavebeengivenshelterinalocalmosque.

"We'relivingoffthecharityofothers.Andwearelucky,somepeopleareonthestreets,"hesays.

Homsusedtobehometoaround1millionpeople.Now,residentscasuallyestimatethatatleasthalfhavefled.

MILITARISEDALAWITES

Meanwhile,AlawiteareaslikeFarzat'sZahradistrictlookmorelikearmybasesthanresidentialneighborhoods.

ArtilleryisnolongerstoredinarmybarracksonHoms'soutskirtsbutinthemiddleofAlawitedistricts,andtroopsareatthereadytorollthemoutandfireatnearbyrebelareas.

ThearmyhassecuredthestreetsconnectingAlawiteneighborhoods.ButitscontrolofHomsistenuous.

SoldiersdarenotgointomostSunniareas,wheresomewhereunseeninrocket-andbullet-riddledbuildings,hundredsofrebelshide,sporadicallyfiringrocketpropelledgrenades.

"IfwewantedtoendtheHomsproblem,we'dhavetogrindthewholeplacetotheground.Hundredsofsoldierswoulddie,"saidanarmyofficer.

HesaidhewaspartofthesiegeofHoms'sBabaAmrneighborhood,whenanonslaughtbytanksandtroopsdroverebelsoutoftheirmainstronghold.

"We'reworriedhouseswillbemined,liketheywereinBabaAmr.Thatstrugglecostusmanymorementhanwasreported.Sonowinstead,wejustshelltherebelareasfromhere."

Inadditiontotroops,hundredsofpro-AssadmilitiamenhavebeencultivatedinAlawiteareas,proudlyacceptingthetag"shabbiha",fromtheArabicword"ghost."Theystrutdownthestreetsinarmycamouflage.Theyspeakdisdainfullyofsoldierstheyviewastreadingtoocautiouslyinconfrontingtheenemy.

Oneshabbihayouthpointstothetoweroverlookinganoppositionarea,wheresol

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diersusedtosnipeatrebels.

"Nowtheshabbihauseit.Youcan'tseepeopleoverthere,there'snopointsniping.Wejusttakeamachinegunandspray."

BACKTOSCHOOL

Despitetheovertmilitarization,Alawiteresidentstrytomaintainanormalwayoflife.Mostschoolsareopen.Vendorshawkfruitandvegetablesonstreetcorners.

Nearby,womenbrowseshopsthathavebecomea"Sunnimarket",whereshabbihabringinstolenfurnitureandclothesfromSunniareasafterthearmyhasraidedthem.

"Thesearethespoilsofwar,"onewomanshrugs."It'sourrighttotakethem."

Butthemoodisalwaystense,andlikemanyotherdays,thecalmshattersalongwiththeglassofashopfrontasanRPGlaunchedbyrebelssmashesintothestreet.Abloodiedpasserbyisquicklygivenfirstaidandwhiskedawaybyambulance.

Thegovernmenthaspushedfortheappearanceofnormalityinthemidstofchaos.Homs'BaathUniversityreopenedlastweekafteralongclosure.Forthefirstt

imeinmonths,SunniandAlawiteclassmateswereplacedunderthesameroof.

Butthedivisionisaspalpablehereasintheirfracturedcity.SunniandAlawitestudentssticktotheirownsides,sittingonoppositeendsofcafeteriasandacampusyardovershadowedbyamassivestonestatueofformerpresidentHafezal-Assad,Bashar'sfatherwhoruledfornearly30years.

"IusedtohavealotofAlawitefriends,butnowwedon'tgreeteachother.Thereisnothingmoretosay,"saysAhmad,a22-yearoldSunniengineeringstudent."ButI'mnotafraid,itcan'tgetanyuglierthanthis."

Acrosstheyard,fellowengineeringstudentHassan,anAlawite,fearstheworstisyettocome.

"Evenmycousinsareshabbihanow.Ihatethat.Neithersidedeservespowerhere,"hesighs.

HassanneversayshethinksAssadmaybetoppled,buthebelievesthefuturewillnotbekindtoAlawites.

"Theslaughteriscomingtous."

(WritingbyErikaSolomon;editingbyRalphBoulton)

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/06/19/world/middleeast/19reuters-syria-crisis-

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