Clashes between Syria’s new Islamist authorities and the Druze minority in the southern Sweida province, coupled with Israeli strikes against Syrian government forces, have forced Damascus to reconsider its relations with Moscow once again. Back in the spring, the Syrian authorities were trying to push Russia out of the country. Now, while they still don’t trust Moscow, they are prepared to entertain the notion of expanding the Russian presence to counterbalance the Israeli forces. The large-scale clashes that broke out this summer between Islamists and Druze in Sweida demonstrated once again how precarious the position of the new Syrian leadership remains. This was the second major rebellion by an ethno-religious minority, following the Alawite uprising in Latakia this spring.
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