Between 1945 and 1980, Syria's population jumped from three to nine million, pushing the country's war index up to between 4 and 5.  This index is calculated as follows: 1,000 men aged 55 to 59 are succeeded by 4,000 to 5,000 youths aged 15 to 19.  In such a population boom, only the best of these young men could hope for acceptable jobs and positions in life — either at home or in the oil sheikdoms.  The tough economic competition created by this population explosion slowly transformed itself into warring religious sects.  Since 1976, Sunni Muslim Brothers, the nation's majority, have been striving to wipe out the ruling Alawite minority.  They succeeded in carrying out spectacular murders, but in 1982, the army under Rifaat Al-Assad, uncle of today's dictator Bashar, smashed their neighborhoods in Hama.  Over 20,000 people died in the conflict.  That slaughter was never forgotten. In 2011,...(Read Full Post)