Sounds like the Shiites say that Alawites are Shiite muslims.
Sounds like Assad paid off a key Shiite cleric to say that Alawites, who don't attend mosque, and say Ali (not AllaH) is their god, are Shiite Muslims. Unfortunately for Alawites, this pro forma statement doesn't seem to have percolated down to the popular level, where Alawites are considered apostates, to be killed on sight.