Holy shit you went there

They're only like 50,000 fighters. 

They've made big gains because the so-called "allies" of the US -- Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE, Qatar, etc. are the ones funding them. The Mideast has problems between Sunni/Wahabbists and Shias and just like Catholics/Protestants did for several hundred years.

And that conflict is going to be there no matter what, the idea that the US needs to fix every damn thing that's wrong in that region ... well you might as well then just commit full troop deployments to be in the desert for the next 100 years. But that's easy to say when it's not you going over there to fight. 

If I'm a marine/soldier who's already served 2-3 tours in Iraq/Afghanistan, I'm saying "fuck you" straight up to having to go to Syria and then fix that trainwreck for the next decade. It will never end. 

Putin doesn't really give a shit either, he's just there to protect Russia's seaports in Syria that give Russia access to the Meditterian Sea. If Assad falls then Russia's hold over those ports would likely falter. 

To sum up the rant.

The anti-russian propaganda lies are already taking off, with "The White Helmets" using a photo that is at least 5 days old and suggesting that it was taken yesterday, after the russian strike.

https://twitter.com/SyriaCivilDef/status/649226960753836033/

https://twitter.com/snhr/status/647490545770721281/

This is to be expected, as the jihadist supporting coalition would spread all kinds of misinformation about the Russian strikes, as if the NATO airstrikes did not kill civilians. And as usual civilian casualty figures would be overstated and unsubstantiated and no terrorist casualties would be reported.

Another video from MoD:

Russian Aerospace Forces engaged four more ISIS facilities this night.

Su-24M and Su-25 aircraft performed 8 sorties eliminating the staff of terrorist groupings and an ammunition depot near Idlib as well as a three-level HQ centre near Hamah. As a result of pinpoint bomb attack, a plant aimed for preparation of cars for explosion located in the north of Homs is completely destroyed.

To prevent engagement of civil population, the targets for the Russian aviation are assigned only outside inhabited areas and only on the basis of confirmed reconnaissance data received from multiple sources.

I think the US with NATO allies and Russia can work together on this.

I know people may hate the solution, but choices right now are
1. Dictatorship
2. Chaos
3. Long term occupation
We know we lack the desire and resources for 3 (ex: Iraq), so 1 is the best of bad choices right now.  We know we can team up and crush a force of ISIS scale in war fare. The issue is the aftermath.  As nice as democracy would be, it is a long road for many places that would take decades to achieve.  Some may call this cynical or cruel, but we've tolerated these kind of authoritarian states in the past.  I look at Iran and using diplomacy and trade as the blueprint to play the long game in the region, as opposed to disaster that was and continues to be Iraq.

I totally agree with you, solution number 1 is the best. Assad said his people wasnt ready for Democracy. And he was right same goes for Iraq, Saddam said the same thing. I think most common sensed people with some or little knowledge of the region can agree with both Assad and Saddam regarding Democracy, none of thier countries was ready for democracy, just yet.

Fun fact from my neighbours and customers at work:

Iraq wasnt a disater before US went in there. It struggles financialy because external factors and Embargos and an ill will to pay taxes from the people.
Most of my neighbours and customers at work are former Iraq/syrian refugess (I live in Sodertalje, Sweden, a town that has taken more refugess from the middle east then whole of America). They said all the same thing. Before Americans came to Iraq all people in Iraq where Iraqies. It didnt matter if you where Christian or Muslim. 

I personally never supported the Iraq war because the US and its allies where there solely for the oil anyone not agreeing on this is just.....well "miss informed".

According to my relatives from Syrian Muslims and Christian lived in peace before the Iraq war and even during the Iraq. Notice how I said before/during the Iraq war? According to my cousin these groups fighting Assad where merceneries funded by the local countries Qatar, Saudi etc. (just like some of you mentioned). But the issue in Syria got out of hand when the US went in to Iraq, even though Saddam was a cruel dictator you could imagine what he did with terrorists. And theese merceneries could roam more free then ever before.

I hope none of you Americans or British people take this bad. But your goverments have contributed to the problem more then Assad and Saddam and I think George W Bush and Tony Blairs administration should be put before court in Haag. It was all a lie and everyone knows it. The war has cost 165 000 Iraqies (not sure some sources say over a 1 000 000) and circa 4 500 American lives. All lives are important no matter what religon or nationalty!

Sorry for any misspelling English isnt my mother tongue.

did assad realy said that his people arent ready for democracy? im pretty sure he was more or less voted into office. syria has a UDSSR style political system, its not realy a dictatorship, syria has democratic elements, like the udssr had and china still has.  not the best system, but its not as bad as most states in the middle east, and it could evolve into a more modern democracy if the implement their own glasnost and perestroika.

and the crimes against humanity, well the us is doing the same in secret cia prisons and gitmo, and if we look in the region, saudi arabia just tortured a boy and will kill him in the most barbaric way possible, and nobody is talking about regime change in saudi arabia(well i do, but im not a world leader)

Syrian Ambassador: “Two Days Of Russian Bombings have been more effective than two years of Obama's Pinprick Airstrikes on ISIS."