Since we refused to give any support to Islamist rebels fighting in Syria, and we insist on the rebels we do support recognizing Israel's right to exist as a Jewish State, there is less and less chance Assad will actually be overthrown. Until about a month ago, the Islamist rebels' forces were doing especially well against government units, and the secular rebels were cooperating with them against their common enemy, Assad's army. Then we made it a condition that we (and our allies) would not aid any rebel forces in league with Islamist elements of the opposition.

We created the current division in the rebel forces (we along with the Israeli lobby on K street, that is). Since we insisted on the secular rebels breaking with Islamist and al Qaeda linked groups, Assad's troops have been retaking town after town. Our government needs to decide if they really want Assad gone or if they just want to play around with more ideologically pure dreams of nation-building in the Middle East.