I want him to hold a democratic election where he's not nominated and let people decide their next leader. It's basically the only way he'll get out of this alive. Otherwise, he's just on a slow path to a Gaddaffi end.
Actually, there was an offer from the Russians, who have huge influence on Assad, that they can make him to step down, but this offer presented by Russians was ignored by US and the coalition, who continued to cite the Assads regime as the reason for funding rebels and fuelling the civil war. If they accepted the offer, many lives could have been saved.
I agree, but we have to be realistic and realise that this won't happen and in order to counter ISIS we must work with the Syrian President. This mess would've been over so much quicker if we hadn't gone in and armed rebels without knowing who we were arming. I have a million misgivings about Assad, but pre-2011 Syria was one of the most diverse countries in the Middle East, and although his viritol towards Israel/Jews and the West was disgusting, he was at least a moderate, secular leader who had a popular mandate and a stable country.
I would argue it would go more the Egyptian route than the Libyan one in such a situation as well - a hardline Islamist elected by a small majority of the people who is then removed from power by the military and replaced by a more secular/liberal, unelected Western-backed leader. Back to square one again.
Well we should indeed work with Assad and Russia to get ISIS out of there but after that he has to hold an election and step down. If Morocco could hold a democratic election as a result of the Arab spring then that tells you just how easy it really was to avoid all of this had Assad and Gaddaffi not gone the dictator route to hold on to their seat. The people just don't want them anymore and their corruption. Morocco elected a right-wing PM and that went swimmingly well. As did Tunisia by holding their first free election since the 50's. If people want a right-wing leader rather than a liberal one, America won't intervene. And isn't Mubarak basically in his death bed atm?
The acclaim from BOTH sides though! Poor Nialler.
not even Italy would let that happen 