it's really in the west's benefit to support continued decentralization in syria. we don't want a centralized islamist state in syria, we want to divide and conquer. from a leftist perspective, i also want to support the right of more liberal regions to self-determination, including the christian and alawite groups, which are not discussed in this article.
the ideal outcome would be multiple autonomous regions, most of which are not islamist. if a couple get off the ground, it could help alter the culture in the area by giving more liberal voices a vehicle to organize and govern through.
the kurds have their problems, but they remain a model for self-governance in the region that is outside of the rubric of islamic fundamentalism.