(Reuters) Khaled Yacoub Oweis - Syrian forces shelled Sunni Muslim districts in Latakia Monday on the third day of a military assault, residents said. Latakia has a large Alawite population, partly because Assad and his father before him encouraged Alawites to move from their nearby mountain region by offering them cheap land and jobs in the public sector and security apparatus. Bashar al-Assad's late uncle Jamil controlled Latakia port and a new generation of family members and their friends has taken over.
2011-08-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive