Surprised Iran has enough money to support these games;

"Iran, Russia and China are propping up Syria’s war-ravaged economy, with President Bashar al-Assad’s regime doing all its business in rials, roubles and renminbi as it seeks to beat western sanctions, delivering $500m a month in oil and extending credit lines, says senior economy minister"

You should not forget two aspects. First of all, the more countries use the Iranian Rial, the better it is for Iran. Second, to get a foothold on the Mediterranean is the old dream of the Persians/Iranians and not just a short-term fashion. Third, Iran therefore has a vital interest to support all NON-Sunni-Muslim minorities on the Levantine coastline. Fourth, most of the West is hesitating because Dr Assad possibly is THE representative of the West in his region, with the support of President General Michel Sulaiman

Some good news "Syria has destroyed all of its declared chemical weapons production and mixing facilities, meeting a key deadline in an ambitious disarmament programme, the international chemical weapons watchdog (OPCW) said today in a document seen by Reuters."

no big deal. The Syrians will continue their brutal civil war without chemical weapons.

While NATO continues to watch.

Why should NATO intervene - how will that help ? create another Iraq/Libya ?

Bring back the french mandate. the best rule the Syrians ever had.

At least unlikely that their chemical weapons will be exported by extreme groups.

Extreme groups and North Korea already HAVE the stuff. They never depended on supplies from Syria

And, as "Pashosh" above correctly pointed out, the Syrian armed forces have the vast arsenal on which they relied for decades. The next chap on top in Damascus may be closer again to Nureddin el-Atassi , the ""Tabib el Atfal ash-She'itan" "" childrens doctor of the devil" , and use the whole arsenal far mor brutally than the Briitish educated Dr Bashar al_Assad

Menwhile in Syria business as usual: mass starvation , indiscrimate shelling and torture. No side has any inclination to stop as losing means dying.

If the west had balls it would call off the "peace" talks in Geneva support ethnic states in Syria: Christian, Druze, Allawite etc. this would give Assad a way out of the war but will take away the support he is getting from other minorities.

No, business as usual in Syria for decades was authoritarian rule but peace inside the country. Dr Assad hoped to be able to return to this "business as usual" but this looks out of range. It now looks as if Saudi Arabia is supporting the opposition (both the fundamentalist and the secularist parties) while Russia in good USSR tradition supports the Assad regime

I meant that the war in Syria is continuing.
Syria was only "peaceful" under the Assads. Before Assad Sr. Syria was in constant internal strife.

Before Hafez el-Assad, there was political "strife" but nothing comparable to what there is now

Amazing how eyes doctor Dr med Bashar al-Assad succeeded to become the darling of Moscow and Washington/DC and Paris/London/Brussels within a short time. Possibly in close conjunction with his Iraqi friend Ibrahim el-Douri


Right now, ALL powers do act in favour of the Assad regime

Because he is the lesser evil of the two evils.

Sounds vaguely familiar. Taliban, Saddam, Pinochet, ... this is a loooong list.

- The pragmatic and smart Iranian, Russian and Chinese governments were right from the beginning.

- The coward loser French, dumb cynical Turks and fanatical Saudis were as usual wrong and they underestimated President Assad's resilience and military strength. He enjoys wide support among the population.

- The American and British governments were misled by the Turks and Saudis. They are now realizing their mistakes.

- The Germans, Italians and Japanese were always skeptical but were secretly rooting for President Assad.

China is smart. Whereas Iran and Russia are looking at economies ruined by sanctions!

I think the solution to all this is to carve out countries for Sunnis and Kurds, then make sure everybody stay within their borders.

Send them all to their rooms. Grounded! Stay put or you'll lose your allowance!

Maybe we should start by giving an official state to Kurds.

I vote for that. I think the Kurds have been a stand-up people who deserve more. Sure they have radical factions as well; communists and what have you. What is keeping the Kurds from having their own country? And what would the problems be with having one?

Also, some of those Kurdish women soldiers are pretty cute.