Assad was on the ropes. But we refused to help the rebels because we assumed that Assad was doomed and we needed to do nothing to dirty our hands to help that event along.
But Iran and Russia weren't so worried about working the problem. Now, with their help, Assad has consolidated his position in the west through a campaign of murder and starvation against his enemies and the people who support them.
And with jihadis becoming the most effective fighters at the expense of more secular rebels whose morale is hurt by our failure to help them, we refuse to help because we don't want to indirectly help jihadis.
And now we don't even want Assad to leave power out of fear of the jihadis:
"Not only in private meetings but also in public comments, the idea is occurring to some Western colleagues that ... Assad remaining in office is less of a threat for Syria than a takeover of the country by terrorists," Sergei Lavrov told RIA news agency in an interview published on Friday.
The sad thing is that it isn't too late to defeat Assad. Assad has the edge in his corner of the country and jihadis are gaining strength at the expense of other rebels, but if we actually take a role in helping the more secular rebels even at the risk of aiding jihadis (who seem to be doing fine without our help), we can exploit Assad's still considerable problems (his own troops' casualties and morale, finances, and fear of loss in his base of support) and put the rebels on the path to victory again.
But that's not how our leaders think. They don't think of winning--just ending--wars. We did just enough to hurt Assad a bit without getting rid of him, ignoring that old advice of "when you strike a king, kill him."
The Russians are lucky that it didn't occur to President Franklin Roosevelt in 1941 that Hitler remaining in office was less of a threat for the West than a takeover of that country by Soviet communists.
The revolution in our policy is complete, it seems. How long before John Kerry is in a photo op shaking hands with Assad?
And how long before more American blood is on Assad's hands?
I feel sick. Syria has been a persistent enemy with lots of American blood on his hands. The Syria revolt fell in our lap like a gift from the gods. And here we are with Assad looking like he could survive.
Our foreign policy best and brightest could ef up a wet dream.
