Syrian Army's top command comes from Nusayri clans and Armenians.
Now, the following is the description of Nusayri belief system:
http://mb-soft.com/believe/txw/nusayri.htm
Nusayriyyah is an extreme Shi'ite group named after its purported founder, Abu Shu'ayb Muhammad ibn Nusayr (d.868). Nusayri doctrine is a mixture of Islamic, Gnostic and Christian beliefs. The Nusayris possess three distinctive doctrines which have led them to be treated as heretics by Sunni Muslims.
- The belief in incarnation. The Nusayris believe that Ali is God in the flesh. Ali created Muhammad from his spirit, and Muhammad created Salman, an early Shi'ite saint. These three form a Trinity in which Ali is described as the 'meaning', Muhammad is the 'name' and Salman is the 'door'.
- The rejection of the Qur'an and all forms of prayer associated with the Sunni tradition. All Islamic teaching can be interpreted spiritually and therefore does not have to be taken literally.
- Nusayris believe in reincarnation. Contrary to Islamic belief, the Nusayris claim that women do not have souls and, therefore, there is no need to explain the secrets of Nusayri doctrine to women.
Nusayris have their own distinct religious leaders, called shaikhs. These shaikhs are believed to be endowed with a kind of divine authority. One of the Shaikh's duties is to lead religious and other forms of ceremony. Nusayris have special feasts in which they celebrate the anniversaries of their sacred figures.
At the age of 19 Nusayris undergo an initiation rite in which they begin to learn some of the secrets of the sect. Nusayris are in fact born into the sect; the initiation ceremony serves to confirm their membership.