Who the hell would replace Assad?

John Kerry as SOS. Assad will be out in about a year,watch and see. Putin found out what Obama warned him of and what can happen. This has to be settled by the locals and not by the Russians or the U.S.,and it will happen.

We were for the "deft removal" of Assad

What will our position be next week

More flip flops than a beach party.

I've never understood this administration's unwavering focus on removing Assad while ISIS is taking over the region.

Assad refused the Qatari pipeline in favor of a Russian pipeline.
You didn't really believe the BS about the US gov really caring about Syrians now did you???

said exactly the same thing about Assad not having the ability to unite people and that the Syrians need to pick their government.

The DEFT part was that Assad himself had to leave but the institutions of government, possibly with a new constitution remain.

But doesn't mean we won't find another country to push for it!

especially this something.

We have never been at war with Eurasia.

But, we will be on our way soon enough, after we finish breaking our longest war record.

Exit ISIS & enter Russian backed gas pipeline from Iran to Syria to Europe.

Saudis and Qatar invest in ISIS to prevent same pipeline in favor of one starting in Qatar through Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria.

We get to fight yet another proxy war to defend Saudi and Qatar oil interests, which makes the MIC happy and well funded. Endless war is once more justified to Congress and Voters.

Here we go 'round the mulberry bush...

It no longer matters what happens to Assad. Syria has been eliminated according to plan. A Clean Break.

has anyone talked to them about this?

I'm sure they would have a vastly different impression.

and correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't that the original purpose of us sending the rebels arms and flying bombing and drone missions?

fine, whatever. None of it makes sense anyway.

which would remove Syria as an ally of Russian and possibly deny Russia it's naval and air bases

Eliminating Russian influence in the middle east is what this has been about all along/

Clinton and then Kerry believed Putin lacked the resources and will to get involved

Now they have egg on their faces. The biggest gift to Putin was Turkey stupidly shooting down a Russian bomber and showing the body of one of the pilots being gloated over by Turkmen the Turkmen militia

It's only made things worse. Good move.

> “The United States and its partners are not seeking regime change in Syria,” Kerry said
> ... before immediately adding that the U.S. continues to believe that Syrian President
> Bashar al-Assad has no possibility of remaining the country’s leader in the future.

So, he doesn't want "regime change" but the current regime "has no possibility of remaining"?

Saudi Arabia and Qatar don't have the money to keep this up and with Iran and Russia both thumbing there noses about reducing oil output recently (and Iran sanctions about to end which will flood the market with more oil).

Plus the costly civil war in Yemen...

Keep fighting and tank your economy or cut your losses, run and just accept that Iran is going to have more influence in the region.

The Saudi's irrationally assumed the US would get involved with boots on the ground and Russia didn't have the will to intervene. They were wrong on both counts.

The US has its hands full already with Libya and Ukraine with its corruption is making things even more difficult for that situation to play to the way they want.