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Lack of Alternatives to Assad Helps Explain U.S. Reluctance to Intervene in Syria
(AP-Washington Post) It's not clear who would replace Assad if he were driven from power. Inside Syria the rebels are divided, with fighters linked to al-Qaeda becoming increasingly dominant. "Should Assad one day fall from power, it is extremely unlikely that moderates and hard-liners would come to a long-term agreement because of completely diverging interests," said Charles Lister at IHS Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Center. "The most likely scenario is the Iraq scenario, complete chaos and banditry," said Joshua Landis from the University of Oklahoma. "The idea that somehow you destroy Assad and there will be another central Syrian state is entirely wishful thinking."