Responsible? Who? Us?

The Syrian rebels have a huge demographic advantage over the government forces. The rebels are Sunni, which comprise two-thirds of Syria's population. The government draws its support primarily from the Alawites, which comprise one-eighth of the population. The problem is the rebels don't have any money.

The various Arab regimes in the region are waiting for America to step in, like we did in Iraq and Afghanistan, and so they provide the rebels

with enough arms and financing under the table to win their respective loyalties and keep them fighting until America steps in, but not enough to enable an outright rebel victory.

Although Arab leaders are telling Washington that a larger American footprint in Syria will facilitate a peaceful solution to the war, their privately expressed faith in the palliative impact of U.S. intervention in the Arab world is disingenuous. Arab leaders aren't waiting for Captain America because they think he will save the day. They are waiting because they want someone else to take responsibility for the horrific violence they know will yet be required to decisively defeat their enemy.

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