Many people in Syria are accustomed to the sound of daily gunfire. It is normal in battle-scarred cities like Damascus or Qusair.
But along the beaches and in the cafes of Tartous, an area that is a center of support for the embattled President Bashar Assad, the sounds are a bit more peaceful.
Near the water's edge of the Mediterranean, tables, chairs and umbrellas sit upon huge stones. At one of these tables sits a brother and sister on vacation.
The brother, a 21-year-old Syrian soldier who didn't want to give his name, is given a few days off every few weeks. He doesn't talk about his duties, but says he has been under fire. Going from combat to the beach is a bit strange, he says.
"Of course I think about it," he says, "and it's hard to ignore that I could have been killed. But I believe in what I'm doing."
His sister is a law student, though her studies have been delayed since her university is in the embattled city of Homs. Their father is a real estate developer. She says one thing Americans don't understand about Syria is the love and respect they have for the president and their country.
Refuge From Conflict
Many, though not all, of Syria's elites have stayed loyal to the Assad regime, under which they prospered. And many people now rely on this Assad stronghold for more than vacation; many are displaced and looking for work as well.
Around 300,000 Syrians have fled to the Tartous area. Some live in relatives' apartments, in converted schools and some stay in a government office building.
At a main route into the center city, the newcomers see a steadily expanding row of high-rise buildings. Even as the destruction of many Syrian cities continues, construction continues in Tartous, including many buildings intended to be apartments for young people.
The newcomers may have plenty of time to study those buildings.
A military checkpoint nearby stops people entering the center city for as many as 40 minutes at a time to check credentials or search their cars. Above the checkpoint hangs a poster of President Assad.
The intensity of the search betrays something of the authorities' tension about preserving this stronghold. It's a strategically important spot, as Russia, one of Syria's few allies, maintains a naval base there.
It's also politically important because the whole Syrian coastline remains supportive of Assad. Nizar Mahmood, a provincial official coordinating aid to refugees, say there's a reason for that.
"The rebels have a hard time finding support here," Mahmood says, "[because] the coastal area has a higher proportion of educated people than other areas ... making them less likely to be deceived into accepting foreign money."
Assad supporters here regularly blame outsiders for fueling the rebellion. They blame "the media," "the international media" or in some cases "the Jewish media" for creating the impression the rebels have legitimate grievances.
A Non-Sectarian Issue
There may, however, be a different reason Tartous remains quiet. The region is home to a heavy concentration of Muslims from the Alawite sect, the minority group to which President Assad belongs.
Sheikh Ahmad Bilal, an Alawite religious leader, is a traditional adviser to the community on religious matters, just as his ancestors were. He says he worries about what would happen if the Assad regime should lose. There are fears of a bloodbath because many believe the rebels will open the borders to terrorists.
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