in iraq, you had to rely on analysts to understand what was going to happen, but it was hardly ambiguous.
in syria, you can see what's happening in front of your eyes - we are supporting islamic extremists, in their attempt to topple a flawed but secular state.
so, it is not just predictable that iraq will follow in the same footsteps as iraq should the baathist regime there fall as well, but it is actually the intent - because the bankers pulling the strings are the theocracy in saudi arabia, and this is what they actually want, to reduce syria to a backwards, islamic theocracy.