The tortured path of change in Syria

A New Syria?: "Many Damascenes see Assad caught within an inner circle that's composed of the people who run the intelligence services, major businesses and the Baath Party. Many of them are his relatives or members of his Alawite Muslim sect, which has been ruling Syria since his father, Hafez, seized power in 1970. They look to Assad as their clan leader, and they won't let him give up the clan's privileged status without a fight."