Regime Change Was Never The Goal. Why So Many Can't Grasp That Is A Mystery

[MADem]

12. al Assad has two VPs who don't hold much power, but they are VPs.

al Assad is the big boss and his brother runs the Army. They would need to leave.

That would enable the VPs, with the assistance of international actors and agencies, to come to the table and negotiate some sort of power sharing or other accommodation with the rebel groups. Maybe schedule a few elections, divvy up cabinet posts, whatever they think might work.

al-Assad will NOT negotiate. He doesn't want to share power. He wants to continue to be the despot.

You think the rebels will just stop fighting if the US backs away from trying to help solve this? Hell no--it will only get uglier and more people will die.

This "dump the dictator, not the regime" thing is called a "Yemen scenario." It has been the goal of USA and the Arab League, and others, for over TWO YEARS now. It makes a great deal of sense--it's better than letting a bunch of different rebel groups slug it out against al-Assad, and if they kill him, then kill one another until the last, most brutal nutcase is left standing...

A Yemen scenario lowers the bloodshed and gets all the players to the table without everyone having to die first.