sunnis live and portions in gray are where shia are predominant. it's a randomized distribution. if you zoom in on syria, you will see a small minority of shia who have been running the country and that is the third point. syria is the last of three great minority regimes in the middle east. the first were christians in lebanon. second sunnis of iraq and third alwhites in syria. the colonial powers favor a minority group as allies. the reason they chose a minority was obvious. that group would always need the help of an outside colonial power. so what can we draw from history about syria today? well, over the last 30 years we have seen revolts against the three minority regimes. it was a 15-year civil war that