Syrian Sunnis fear Assad regime wants to 'ethnically cleanse' Alawite heartland

 'Homs and the surrounding province is seen as essential to the war in Syria and to any plan to create a safe haven for Alawites if the Syrian state collapses, as it geographically links largely Alawite areas on the Syrian coast and Shia areas in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley.'

 I don't think this is a very likely proposition*, as when Assad ceases to be the purported governor of all Syria, his days in Syria are numbered. Still, that doesn't mean he and his already quite sectarian elimination-state won't give it a go.

*Eugène Terre'Blanche comes to mind.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eug%C3%A8ne_Terre%27Blanche]