THE LEAST WE OWE THEM IS A REGIME CHANGE:

The Alawite backbone of President Bashar al-Assad's regime shows signs of wobbling under the strain of Syria's civil war.

Members of the minority group have become more critical of the regime's handling of the conflict on social media and during rare protests, according to activists and analysts. They also say Alawites, who form the core of Assad's security forces, increasingly have avoided compulsory military service in a nearly four-year war where their community has sustained huge casualties relative to Syria's Sunnis, who lead the rebellion.

Security forces have sharpened the friction by responding with arrests and intimidation. But while few think this immediately threatens the rule of Assad, who also is Alawite, the rising tension signals exhaustion in a community that is crucial for his regime's ability to confront a revolt that shows little sign of ending.

"The Alawites are growing more and more impatient with the regime because it hasn't been able to demonstrate much progress in ending the war," said Louay Hussein, 54, a Damascus-based Alawite activist who is critical of the Assad regime.

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