Syria is the only mediterranean country that allows russian warships into its havens. That's why Assad has to stay in power at all costs.

At all costs. Five years ago Assad probably had a guarantee of full support from Pooty encouraging him to do whatever it takes to remain in power.

"Kill a few thousand like your old man did in Hama and they'll surrender."

I was hoping against hope that some kind of agreement could have been reached earlier along the line:

Russia stops propping up Assad and lets him fall (and he faces a war crimes tribunal), we help Syria establish a government that doesn't slaughter hundreds of thousands of it's own innocent citizens, while Russia gets to keep their military stronghold (which is all they really ever cared about) and Russia earns the goodwill of a generation of Syrians by rebuilding their country...

It's a win-win for both sides, and both the U.S. and Russia get to say "mission accomplished" without losing face...

Russia, the US and the secular rebels get together.
The secular rebels get the ouster of Assad, thus turning a three-way-war into a two-way-war.
The US gets a cooperation-agreement with Syria and Russia for fighting islamic extremists in the region.
Russia gets a lease for a naval military base in Syria for 50 years or so.

Just a refresher on the agreement.

Agreement on settlement of political crisis in Ukraine
Creating Agreement on settlement of political crisis in Ukraine – the documents, signed on 21 February 2014 by the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and the leaders of the parliamentary opposition under the mediation of the European Union. The signing of the Agreement was intended to stop the mass bloodshed in Kiev and to end the sharp political crisis, which began in November 2013 in connection with the decision of Ukrainian authorities to suspend the process of signing the Association agreement with the European Union.

An agreement to resolve the political crisis was signed by the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leaders Vitali Klitschko (Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform), Arseniy Yatsenyuk (All-Ukrainian Union "Fatherland&quot and Oleh Tyahnybok (Svoboda). Witnessing the signing was made by the foreign Ministers of Germany and Poland – Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Sikorski and head of the Department for continental Europe of the Ministry of foreign Affairs of the French Republic Eric Fournier. Special representative of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Lukin, who participated in the negotiations, refused to put his signature under the agreement.[1]

The agreement provided for a return to the 2004 Constitution, that is, to a parliamentary-presidential form of government, the holding of early presidential elections before the end of 2014 and form a "government of national trust". Also provided for the withdrawal of security forces from downtown Kiev, the cessation of violence and surrender of weapons by the opposition.[2]

After it was signed, what happened?

Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Yanukovych: "the Opposition and radical forces, which were submitted on the Maidan, and not only on the Maidan, but also in other regions, they had to disarm, vacate all the occupied territories. But it was not implemented. And, as a result, Kiev was overrun by armed men who began to smash home, religious institutions, temples, began to suffer completely innocent people. People just on the streets robbed and beaten. And it continues today. So the agreement for us, of course, gave some hope. But everything that happened next, it's difficult to call any epithets".[8]
Appeal from the 28 March 2014 Yanukovych said: "I Will seek the lawful execution of the agreement of 21 February and will make every effort to get organized this farce was completely exposed and those responsible for the collapse of the state duly punished".[9]
2 April 2014 Yanukovych gave an interview to Russian and foreign media, during which he said, "Immediately after signing the agreement, I began to fulfill that part of the obligations, which took over the power. As President, I, without delay, given the job of the police to retreat from the square. His radical part responded by shooting... <...> When I signed the agreement, I was doomed to carry it out. And I believed that the guarantors, the foreign Ministers of EU countries will also fulfil their obligations. I had no idea that it was a trap for the government, for the President of Ukraine, because this night I began to attack the militants in the open with weapons ... that I'm alive, first and foremost. But I even did not hear words of condemnation against the bandits, who were called activists".[10]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agreement_on_settlement_of_political_crisis_in_Ukraine

The west usually comes up with these sort of agreements to signs where if you sign it, you are dead and if you don't they will attack you. The same thing happened to Milosevic with the rambouillet accord (look it up). The Russians and Assad must have known that the whole thing was a trap and that is why they backed out. Had that agreement been signed, the rebels would have taken over and the Russians would have been kicked out of their naval base by now. You can only play the same trick so many times before people start wising up to it.

No "name calling" in this post. All my sources came from wikipedia i.e. no "kooky" source. Please jury, don't hide this post.

It's going to cost them lots of $ they don't have to prop up a dictator that most of his countrymen will not like and probably become a flash point for followers of Islam to focus on throwing the infidel from their lands. Before WWI Russia and the Ottomans were enemies. I don't think in the long run people in that region will not accept outsiders meddling in their region (same thing happened to us in Iraq).

the-Mediterranean'. Syrians need a dictator. Thank you for making sure they have one."

country drove him to seek protection from the Russians. I hope it is not that US which has permanent bases in dictator rules Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar etc etc.

Also consider that USSR gifted Crimea to Ukraine and are now taking it back after the successful western backed coup.

Please don't alert my post, there is not "name calling" or "kook" website linked in it. Thanks.