You might want to bookmark this article as a handy reference for the particulars of all the participants in Syria. From Jack Parry at lewrockwell.com:
Okay, folks, you won’t be able to know who’s who in this Syrian War without a program! So, without further ado, enjoy!
First off, there’s several different factions over there and not all of them willingly get along. Syria has: Shi’ite Muslims, Sunni Muslims, Syrian Orthodox Christians, a small number of Catholics, Kurds, Alawite Muslims, Druze, Yazidis, and the current imported Wahhabis called ISIS and al-Nusra. The surrounding nations do not all appreciate this mix of diversity. See, Assad is an Alawite Muslim, which is how he could walk the tightrope between these various factions, since the Alawite are a tiny minority themselves.
So…neighboring Iran is Shi’ite and controls the paramilitary militias of Hezbollah and the Revolutionary Guard who have fought in Iraq and Syria. They back Assad and hate ISIS. Iran does not want to see another Sunni nation pop up on its border, which they fear will happen if we topple Assad. The United States always backs Sunni Muslims and so this fear is not without foundation. The animosity between Sunni and Shi’ite is well known. So, Iran can be counted on to supply Hezbollah and Revolutionary Guard martyr brigades to any war in Syria that a would-be Sunni government is seeking to win.
Then we have neighboring Turkey, who hates Assad and ISIS, but also hates the Kurds who are one of our anti-ISIS allies. Turkey would like nothing more than to see Assad toppled and ISIS gone, but after that, the Kurds better not try to create an autonomous republic which is one of their stated goals. In fact, Turkey is engaged in a guerilla war against Kurdish separatists who hit Turkish security forces in Turkey and then run across the border into Syria to escape. The Kurdish militias themselves are mostly quasi-Marxist pseudo-socialists, but all of them are agreed that they will create an autonomous Kurdish republic once this is over. Which the Turks, our NATO ally, will not accept.
To continue reading: Syrian Scorecard
STRAIGHT LINE LOGIC 
I think the author is missing quite a bit.
Turkey allows ISIS oil and arms to cross their boarder. This would not happen without the US knowing it. Also John McCain was a key player in setting up ISIS.
According to Fox News a couple days ago, There is a 100,000 Iranian backed troops fighting ISIS in Iraq. Since Iran is a enemy, why are US forces fighting with these troops? Treason anyone?
Who is supplying ISIS with arms for their oil? Rumors have it is is Saudi Arabia. I am sure this could not go on without America knowing it was happening.
Then there is the rumored pipeline from Saudi Arabia, through Iraq and Syria to the Mediterranean Sea.
The there is the real question of why a war with Russia. We cannot win a war with some bedouin on camels. Do they really think that we could win a war against Russia?
This mess is beyond any comprehension. No one is telling the truth and there are so many lies, the liars cannot remember what they lied about last. It is like wage the dog but watching 5 different version being played at the same time.
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Reblogged this on The way I see things … and commented:
You cannot win this war. It is as simple as that. And this Pollyanna notion that these folks are itching for democracy, fast food chains, Big Box stores, and stupid American movies and music is naïve at best. You will have to airlift the Christians, Mandeans, Sufis, and Yazidis, out of there, more than likely, or they’ll be killed. The Saudis have a big interest in Assad being gone for two reasons: Number One, it isolates Iran. Who they hate because their are Shi’ite. Number Two, they can “helpfully” assist the U.S. in installing a Sunni government that, over time, will become Wahhabi and help export that sect across the Middle East. And the United States is blundering into this nest of multi-headed Hydras eyes wide open.
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