Free Republic

Syria's religious and ethnic minorities need to work together with liberal Sunni Muslims to counter the influence of Islamists in the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, a prominent Sunni Muslim opposition figure said. Kamal al-Labwani said Islam was being used to galvanize street protests against Assad and the population had grown more devout, but most Syrians still want Islam to "remain a religion, not a political party."

Syrian army defectors attacked a military intelligence base on Wednesday in one of the most daring raids in eight months of protests against almost five decades of Baath rule. The early morning raid on the air force intelligence base just outside Damascus was among the most spectacular carried out by the growing number of deserters from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's largely conscript armed forces who have refused orders to open fire on civilian protesters. The unprecedented movement against Assad's 11-year rule has been spearheaded by peaceful demonstrators but in recent months the deserters have organized themselves into a Free Syrian...

Thousands of Syrian troops backed by armor opened fire in the resort town of Zabadani on the border with Lebanon on Sunday, a day after heavy fighting in the area between army defectors and loyalist forces, residents and activists said. Armored vehicles fired machineguns and anti-aircraft guns as they entered the town, in the foothills of the Anti Lebanon Mountains, 35 km (22 miles) west of Damascus.