ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the role and predicament of the Alawite minority in this process, and explains how they found themselves trapped within a deadly predicament between the Asad regime, the moderate opposition, jihadist extremists and their respective external backers. Three interconnected dimensions of the security dilemma need to be examined in order to understand Alawite and minority political behaviour and to assess whether the descent into conflict since 2011 was inevitable as the Syrian Ba'thist state deteriorated in power. First, structural factors such as historical legacies, internal and external geopolitics, and demographic realities have all undoubtedly played a part in shaping the political behaviour of the Syrian Alawites. Equally important are intangible factors such as perceptions, which produce irrational or emotional assessments about the intentions and threat of the 'other' within the context of identity politics. The final factor, however, that is lacking attention in the security dilemma discourse is the question of agency.
