and this isn't going to be a quick bomb-and-invade operation. to begin with, they've got hezbollah on the ground. second, the russians have been selling anti-aircraft for years. third, the iranians are a real question mark, as russia and the united states are in a pretty open multi-theatre proxy war at this point. which has the possibility for further escalation in iraq, as well.
i just watched the rest of this (i'm a little behind).
it's true that the situation in syria doesn't really allow for a serious election (but apparently the situation in ukraine does). the thing is that's not an accident. the saudi-american aim is to prevent democracy in syria. the rhetoric is one thing, but the anglo-american imperial policy (which the saudis have supported for a long time) has always been to do everything possible to prevent any kind of self-determination across the region. assad wanted to be a doctor, and only inherited his position by accident. he's been trying to step down since he became president, but wants to do so in a way that is a responsible shift of power. the saudis are trying to prevent that...
the only reason he's not a sanctioned dictator is that he's not our guy, he's in cahoots with the russians. the saudis have other motives, but that's what's driving the state department.
the second thing is that when he talks about not wanting aid to go through damascus, it's a political thing. people living through this kind of nightmare are going to put their political aspirations and sympathies aside and align with the force that feeds them, whatever it is - dictatorial state, looney jihadists, alien life, whatever. so, if the government is getting the aid in, people will support the government. but, for fuck's sake, isn't that what a government does? sitting there in washington and trying to scheme ways up that are going to get the aid distributed by looney jihadists instead of the legitimate state power overseeing the area isn't going to go over anybody's heads in the country. if the government isn't doing what the government ought to do, people are going to ask what's stopping them. when it gets explained that the imperial power is using the aid as a ploy to try and turn them against the government.....that's when these things start blowing back....
i mean, i'm all for realpolitik if it's smart and careful, but that's just boneheaded in it's lack of basic respect for the intelligence of the average syrian.