Anti-`Alawite bigotry in the Times

Do you notice that the New York Times only identifies `Alawites among Syrians, and does not identify Sunnis, for example?  And look at this:  "“I have no trust in the U.N. and its organizations, which did nothing good for Arabs,” said Ali, 40, a government employee and member of President Bashar al-Assad’s minority Alawite sect, which has remained staunchly behind the president."  Look at this generalization about `Alawites.  I would argue that middle class Sunni support for the lousy regime has been more important for its resilience than `Alawite support.  Also, there are `Alawites among the local progressive (secular) opposition in Syria.  Also, how does the Beirut-based, Skype-operating, Youtube consuming, New York Times correspondents know that all `Alawites have "remained staunchly behind the president"?