The rulers of Syria are Alawite (~10% of the population), who are at best viewed as heretics by Muslims. Alawites celebrate Easter and Christmas. The revolt under way is just another in a long series of Sunni Islamist rebellions against Alawite rule. Assad's father, Hafiz, crushed a similar rebellion in the early 80's by leveling the rebel stronghold in Hama with field artillery, killing tens of thousands. Bashir would be wise to do the same - the alternative is for the Alawite community to suffer the kind of persecution Iraqi Christians are suffering at the hands of Sunni and Shiite alike. Unfortunately, the Middle East is a terrible place to be non-Muslim, meaning that where possible, Muslim minorities must do unto Muslims before Muslims do unto them.
The unrest is spilling over into Turkey. Rumors of Turkish intervention coming out, not just from Debka but from Turkish sources.
Turkey has had it with PKK Kurdish Workers' Party fighters hiding in Syria amongst the sizable Kurdish population and attacking Turkey in cross border raids. The PKK has mostly left N Iraq due to the Turkish raids there.
Look for a run up to Turkish intervention after the coming elections. Turkey has already seen thousands of refugees from Syria and are very worried they will stay.
BTW, reports are that Muslim Brotherhood money from Egypt is buying weapons for jihadists in Syria. Reports are that 120 Syrian troops were killed by those jihadists the last 3 days in NW Syria near Latakia, home of UBL's in-laws and cousins, the Ghanems.