Hama is the site of the bloody massacre in Syria and Friedman does not travel there for two months. What was once one of Syria's most beautiful cities is the site of the death of ten to twenty-five thousand people in February 1982. Friedman is only in the Middle East for a few weeks when the massacre takes place and eventually travels to Syria to see the Sunni city. The ruler, Hafez Assad, is a member of the Alawites, an Islamic splinter sect. Even though the Alawites are only about ten percent of the population, they control the military, the key power centers and the Baath Party. The Muslim Brotherhood are fighting the Alawites and trying to end their control. This leads to many battles and kidnappings on both sides.
The.....
