Name:   phil - Subject:   SYRIA Date:   12/14/2016 11:40:12 AM

http://adst.org/2015/06/like-father-like-son-tyranny-in-syria-a-massacre-in-hama/

The war has reopened old wounds as the regime and the Syrian army, which are composed mainly of the religious minority of Alawite Muslims, fear that if al-Assad, who is also Alawite, is ousted, they will be persecuted. This conflict between the Alawites and the rest of Syria’s citizens has existed since the reign of Bashar’s father, Hafez al-Assad, who ruled Syria as president in a similarly brutal manner from 1971-2000. During the 1980’s, Hafez al-Assad faced increasing dissent and violence from the Muslim Brotherhood as they sought to retaliate for government campaigns against their members. Members of the Muslim Brotherhood attacked the security forces with car bombs and assassinations while the government struggled to root out these terrorists.

Its about hanging on to control and power - look at the claims of dictators the world over, they use fear and tyranny to stay in power.  Many of these same countries have been ravaged for years due to political, religious or other reasons.  

Syria has been in a civil/religious war since the mid 1920s and its list of wars go back into B.C.  and I doubt it is going to change anytime soon.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_Syria