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Source: http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=260931
Alawite Defections from Syrian Army May Be on Rise
(Jerusalem Post) Oren Kessler - An unverified document leaked from the intelligence group Stratfor quoted a Hizbullah source as saying Alawite officers have begun joining the Free Syrian Army. "Alawite officers are divided since many of them are unhappy about the use of excessive force against Sunni protesters," the source said. "Alawite officers are aware that Assad is trying to find asylum for himself and his family should his regime become unsalvageable. This is upsetting many Alawites who are coming to realize that Assad will abandon them." A video clip posted to YouTube on Monday showed a dozen armed men, describing themselves as the "Free Alawites," pledging loyalty to the Free Syrian Army. "I'd say that there are anywhere from 50 to 200 defections per day," said Michael Nahum, an Arabic media analyst who studied at Damascus University. "The pace of defections is more than most people realize. Analysts keep calling it a 'trickle,' but it's not." "They're losing hundreds of soldiers every week. On bad weeks, maybe in excess of a thousand," Nahum said.