Alavite Rule - free barracks in every city, +2 happiness per police station. +5 happiness for 10 turns per each insurgent killed. So a suppression of uprising would make your population content for a certain period (Hama uprising i allude to).

I like that trait and sounds good to me, let me see if I can make this actually work. Going to test it out.

maybe 1 happiness each for constabulary and police station with the free barracks and a unit maintenence reduction 20-25%?

Howabout, if any barbarian unit is killed they will recieve a free promotion. You could also have the that syrian infantry and tanks gain 25% damage reduction when fighting barbarians?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hafez_al-Assad#Islamic_uprising
%50 percent VS Rebals ?!

Love it!

Rather than a single building, I would suggest a general leader trait to counter unhappiness. Asad was the only "classical" Arad dictator to die a peaceful death, in office, during our era. He was a brutal dictator as much as anyone, but he somehow managed to keep the majority in line. I do not think simple military power was the key.

Ideas:

1) United National Front - No unhappiness from foreign ideology influence AND/OR Reduced unhappiness from population AND/OR extra happiness from Broadcast Towers.

2) Unique Unit: Syrian SAM - Syrians have on occasion countered Izraeli air supremacy with the deployment of (Russian) SAM technology. It was one of the typical characteristics of Syrian-Izraeli standoff in Lebanon, and to me it is the most "unique" trait of modern Syrian army - reliance on ground anti-air rather than (re)building one's own airforce. I would give this unit Drill, Scouting, an extra intercept chance and cheaper cost (or make it maintenace free) than the usual SAM. Sounds like a lot, but SAMs are under-used, let's make them worthwhile.

3) We Are of Your Religion - this trait would allow the syrian Civ to maintain the benefits of being the home civ for any and every religion in it. It would be nice if it were possible to reflect the recognition of Alavis as legitimate moslems due to Asad's endeavours - prior to him, Alavites were merely a sect, pretty much looked down upon. This has helped tremendously in gaining legitimacy for his government.

Anyway, keep it up, whether you like these ideas, or not - because I like yours!

@Teslmatic - I like your ideas, keep them coming. I'm looking to update this mod anyway and need ideas, so I really appreciate the time you've put in. Please feel free to suggust more on my mods else where too.