Why is the US against Assad?

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If the intelligence is such that it has prompted a complete and rapid u-turn from Trump's people then I think we have to assume that it is very good.

Of course it's important that whoever replaces Assad is better, but I don't think settling for one brutal tyrant is a good idea. Syria needs peace and democracy and Bashar is a barrier to both.

I do think it's important that Russia are on board with any solution. They mustn't feel like they are being undermined. But I don't think they want better relations and closer understanding with America or anything that "extending an olive branch" would suggest. They were simply interested in exploiting America at a moment of historic weakness.

Lets see the intelligence if there is any, I just want to see proof. I think the change in policy(which is it really isn't) was more spurred by whoever is winning these power struggles which I think Trump encourages to some degree. Mattis and McMaster seem to be the guys behind this and seem to be pretty big hawks, Trump has vowed to listen to his generals and to take take ideology out of our national security decisions or at least that is my interpretation of the 'deoperationalizing' of the NSC. The reason I liked General Flynn was because of his nuanced view on Russia and his anti-establishment credentials within the military but those same qualities made him a lot of enemies who plotted illegally to get him kicked from the administration.

Assad is not going to voluntarily remove himself from power as long as he has the support of Russia and Iran, even without I doubt he would since it's a life and death struggle for both sides of the sectarian divide. A NATO bombing campaign like that used against Gaddafi would be the worst possible thing you could do, no-fly-zones are always a lie for something more. Weakening Assad only makes the Islamists stronger, that's who will fill the vacuum. I do think you have to look at it from Assad's perspective, he's been fighting a total war against foreign terrorists for years now with massive defections with the threat of total annihilation of his people should he be forced from power. The Sunni 'rebels' don't want a peaceful multiethnic secular society, they're going to want revenge on the Alawites/Shia/Christians/whoever else that isn't a Sunni Arab.

Reckless regime change is exactly what created this war, more of it will just make things even worse so what is the solution? It can ONLY come with an agreement with Russia, unilaterally or even with the help of our 'allies' we are completely powerless. I think Assad should be allowed to stay and participate in elections monitored by the US/Russia/the UN, I don't think anybody really knows how much support Assad actually retains in the country. Maybe this is where the safe zones idea can work, allow people to vote without fear. The problem as already mentioned is that there is no comparable opposition leader, obviously Abu Bakr al-Bahgdadi wouldn't be on the ballot. The issue of the Kurds we don't hear as much about but that will pose a significant hurdle to peace considering to viewpoint of Turkey and the rest of Syria, how far is Turkey willing to go to prevent a Kurdish state?

ISIS has to be crushed first and foremost, the caliphate is what these terrorists all rally around around and not just in Syria. They have to be destroyed before any answer to the Assad question can be given. The only hope is a grand bargain with Russia.

And the "opposition" in Syria hasn't killed vast amounts of civilians? You have to take in account who Assad is fighting against, ruthless al-Qaeda and ISIS militants with the backing of the Gulf Arabs and the West for years now. There is no moderate or secular fighting opposition force on the ground in Syria, Assad is far far more moderate and secular than ISIS you would agree right? The Muslim Brotherhood is as liberal as it gets with the opposition, a group that should be declared a terrorist organization in the US and already is considered one in quite a few countries. How do you fight a war against these people? There is no such thing as a clean war, humanitarian war is an oxymoron if there ever was one so to hold someone to a standard we don't hold ourselves to reeks hypocrisy and ulterior motives. People make this big deal about 'chemical weapons' but we kill more people in drone strikes, we sat around watched ISIS wage genocide but chemical weapons are the red line? Chemical weapons that the terrorist opposition has used as well, pretending like they're innocent victims is a dangerous game.

People can make these declarative statements about how Assad is a monster and that he has to go but unless you can come up with a workable solution to achieve that then you are just needlessly flapping your gums. Do you want to invade and occupy Syria? Would you prefer ISIS/other Islamic militants control of all of Syria rather than Assad? My ONLY interest is to eradicate the terrorists that pose a threat to the US, I have no interest in policing the world and intervening in every civil war.

I am wondering if all this tension is and the bombing raid is manufactured as part of a deal between Trump and Putin. The idea would be would be to squash the idea that Trump is Putin's lackey.

My 2¢ on the issue: it's looking increasingly like it was a fireworks show for President Xi's benefit. A show that says DJT is quite serious about demolishing the North Korean twit even if China wants no part of it. Chinese troops moved to the NK border, US Naval movements in the Pacific, murmurs about a joint operation... NK is the real story here. Sit tight for one of Trump's signature deals or an invasion, while Syria is ignored and the Putin-Assad supertwins are left relatively unmolested to do their thing. Assad ordering a gas attack at this late stage of the war (the war he was winning) is so unlikely even the most furious neocons in Washington would have doubts. It was a convenient happenstance and the Trump administration took advantage of it. But I could be wrong.

If Syria did use chemical weapons then I really doubt that Assad personally ordered it, it would probably be one of those officers in the military. It's better to stick with the devil you know than gamble with the one we don't, we were already fooled once by the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt

How can Assad be removed without empowering ISIS? Do you think removing Assad would end the civil war? I don't, if Assad falls then these rebels aren't stopping until there isn't an Alawite left in Syria. You have to come up with a concrete solution, not something that just feels good at the time without regards to the later consequence. Is Assad important enough that you would want the US to invade and occupy Syria?

Saddam was a monster too but we still shouldn't of invaded.

With a vast invisible conspiracy at the core of any analysis comes unshakable convictions.