The rebels are just as bad as Asad government, So far the so called "Arab spring" has produced mixed results.

It failed in Syria and clearly backfired in Egypt where the muslim brotherhood has achieved power through "democratic" means.

Well... The Rebels have pledged Allegiance to Al-Qaeda... And the current leadership is a brutal dictatorship... So I think we should stay out of it and allow the two sides to kill each other.

What has this to do with Syria?

Pretty much everything.

why would our governments do this? It's like they ignore their own history. Iran 1953, Afghanistan 1980's to present, Iraq 2003-2011 and now possibly Syria. Why install a radical muslim dictator just so later on we will overthrow them for what horrible acts they will do? We even done this to non-muslim states like Chile and america tried it's luck with Venezuela and Cuba before. But I just don't understand that and what i can't believe is no one has really noticed it, all we need to do is look at the last 60 years and we can see it has happened. It's like everything is a big conspiracy

Sooner or later the Sunnis and the other Muslim freaks will get a Muslim nation based in sharia law, over 30% of Arab Muslims polled have already stated they want this. So instead of trying to fight off the inevitable u say let them have their fucked up world- and then blow it all to hell.

Moderated,

-Mr Khan

Ask people from Zero Hedge or Pepe Escobar of AsiaTimes, they'll probably tell you it's a fight for hydrocarobnes transit routes, ask people with more traditional background in geopolitics they'd probably tell -- the whole idea of Arab Spring is to destabilize the region for whatever reason. Both might not be mutually exclusive.

But given your question is more general (and rhetorical, still answer it anyway), I believe you confusion is coming from the idea of national government pursuing national interests. Since the stance of major EU countries on situation in Syria is questionable if not counter-productive in regards to their national interests, confusion is understanable. Simple solution is to get rid of idea of national goverment when talking about Western World entirely, it doesn't exist.

More like Lebanon, where all-out civil war will drag until the 2020s or so, then boil down to milder sectarian violence that will endure indefinitely.

Eh, I don't see how the rebels can lose.

Feels like right now it's just going to be a seemingly endless war of violence like a lot of south American and African countries have been like.

Even if things go wrong and it ends up worse then an Assad government. It might end up better long term because it got to that stage sooner. Since i don't think there is any way for Assad to win unless he convinces the west to let Russia or Iran help them more openly.

Starting ~3:00

- Hey, Abu Firas! Listen, your mother is Syrian and father is Saudi, right?

- Yeah.

- So what you're doing here?

- Doing jihad.

- Against whom? Against your brothers Syrians? Move over to Israel, free Palestina or smth.

- What "brothers"?

- Well, looks like we're brothers after all! Abu Firas, we're going in anyway. You're sitting there surrounded for a long time now. Surrender and you're going to be amnestied. I'll make a safe passage for you to pass.

- And what about the hostages?

- Release them! How many of them are in there?

- 450.

- Military or civilian?

- Both.

- (voice from behind the scenes): Just you wait, motherf**ker!

- Hey, no insults!

- Abu Firas, stop fighting both of you! Fine, no insults, make it civil. So, tell me, those civilians you've captured, what did they do to you?

- They are pro-government!

- So? Why you've dragged them out of their homes?

- (voice from behind the scenes): Psst, he doesn't like the government.

- Told you, no fighting. So, you've dragged people from their homes. What's their fault?

- Sheikh Arhur told me...

- (voice from behind the scenes): That's some piece of sh*t your sheikh Arhur.

- Abu Firas, what sheikh Arhur has to do with that? He promised you warm place on heavens? Stop fighting, Abu Firas! Do you hear me? I'm asking you -- what hostages you're holding have done to you?

- I use them for protection!

- You think they're going to protect you?

- (voice from behind the scenes): God won't ask you for what you're done?

- Right, if you think you die and go to heavens, what about innocents?

- No, we're taking good care of them.

- (voice from behind the scenes): Do not lie, I've been kidnapped too and know what I'm talking about. Allyavi has died like a dog, he used to kidnap people as well.

- Yes, ask in al-Qseira what has happened to him. Ask your Arhur did he send him to heaven? You just release hostages as an act of good will, and surrender if you want. We won't hurt you. You're going to court, if you haven't killed anyone yet -- you'll be amnestied. Did you kill anyone?

- No.

- Ok then, you going to be released and free to life here like those who surrendered already. You think till evening, I'll talk to you later again.

//As for the question people are wondering -- how long this mess is going to continue. Very soon, once support is cut off due to minimal support from within the Syria. Whether it's going to be cut off or not, it remains to be seen.