Should Bashar al-Assad Remain in Power in Syria?

[Frodo]

Never thought it would come to this, but I can better live with an Assad-dominated Syria than a Levantine version of Afghanistan.  Considering the alternatives, it is the lesser of evils.  

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Unfortunately it does look that way.  The secular portion of the rebellion has essentially collapsed due to lack of Western support and I see no prospect of that changing any time soon.

[Zioneer]

At this point, I can't tell. On the one hand, the rebels do seem to have a small secular element that does want democracy, but on the other, they've also got elements of the rebellion that want to exterminate the minority groups.

I guess Assad, since there's no way he can kill all the Sunnis, while the hardliner elements of the rebellion probably could kill or displace most if not all of the minority religions. It stinks to support Assad's tyrannical regime, since he's the one who ensured that this rebellion would take place anyway.

[Antonio the Sixth]

No (not Opebo)

[H. Ross Peron]

No (not Opebo)

[Zanas]

Should he remain in power ? Of course not.
Is there presently a credible and stable realistic alternative ? No.

[Mr. Morden]

He could potentially remain in power in part of Syria for a long time to come, but I don't see him retaking the rest of the country any time soon.

[Person Man]

Should he remain in power ? Of course not.
Is there presently a credible and stable realistic alternative ? No.

He could potentially remain in power in part of Syria for a long time to come, but I don't see him retaking the rest of the country any time soon.

Breaking the country up seems to be an increasingly palpable and viable option by the day.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

He's absolutely despicable, but there is obviously no better alternative.

[Peter the Lefty]

No (not a f[inks]ing pro-mass murderer)

[Cory]

He's absolutely despicable, but there is obviously no better alternative.

It's unfortunate, but yeah.

[Zioneer]

No (not a f[inks]ing pro-mass murderer)

Hey, I'm not pro-mass murderer either, but considering the actions of some of the more hardliner rebels, I'm a bit worried for the Druze/Christians/Alawites.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

No (not a f[inks]ing pro-mass murderer)

Hey, I'm not pro-mass murderer either, but considering the actions of some of the more hardliner rebels, I'm a bit worried for the Druze/Christians/Alawites.

Said rebels are also quickly taking over from the FSA as the main force opposing Assad.

[Zioneer]

No (not a f[inks]ing pro-mass murderer)

Hey, I'm not pro-mass murderer either, but considering the actions of some of the more hardliner rebels, I'm a bit worried for the Druze/Christians/Alawites.

Said rebels are also quickly taking over from the FSA as the main force opposing Assad.

Exactly. I guess... I support the Kurds?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I rather have Assad in power then the rebels, so a very reluctant yes.

[Redalgo]

No, of course not, and either way the path ahead becomes bleaker as the civil war trudges on. If Assad wins the violence to subdue disloyal elements of the population and re-consolidate power would probably be horrific, and if he loses the risk of having extremists of Islamist bent ascend to power grows the longer Western powers decline to intervene seriously - with idealistic foreign fighters (and terrorist organizations looking to exploit the situation) flowing in from elsewhere in the region and displacing relatively moderate Syrian groups as the main bastion of oppositional force.

[Mr. Morden]

Should he remain in power ? Of course not.
Is there presently a credible and stable realistic alternative ? No.

He could potentially remain in power in part of Syria for a long time to come, but I don't see him retaking the rest of the country any time soon.

Breaking the country up seems to be an increasingly palpable and viable option by the day.

The country seems to already be broken up right now.  The question is whether there's a viable (or desirable) path to put it back together and/or whether it's possible for it to remain broken up without a civil war going on.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

No (not a f[inks]ing pro-mass murderer)

[Zioneer]

Can we have Kurds as a third option? They're not actively genocidal tyrants or loony fundamentalists.

[Flake]

No.

al-Assad has ordered thousands of people to die who don't agree with his political agenda, and it is a clear violation of human rights, of course there are some extremists on the opposition (Muslim Brotherhood), I think if we can successfully get a moderate government in place we have to get al-Assad out of power immediately.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

No (not a f[inks]ing pro-mass murderer)

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Our desire to rid the world of one evil may spawn others who are better at being evil.  I'll take the predictable evil if left with no other choice.

[Marokai Backbeat]

No, though that does not mean I presume the rebels would be better or that we are obligated to do anything about it militarily.

[opebo]

Yes of course, obviously.  Have we learned nothing from the loss of Saddam Hussein, Mubarak, Gaddafi?

[Blue3]

Yes of course, obviously.  Have we learned nothing from the loss of Saddam Hussein, Mubarak, Gaddafi?

I still say we're better off without those guys.

I'd rather take the guy out, and hope it will eventually lead to a better future, instead of sticking with someone we know is a devil.