“This has the potential to get very bad globally”
I don’t think this is any worse than what bush did or clinton before him. I just don’t see any real gain messing with Syria either.
Bush went to war for oil (So I've been told), Obama is taking us to war for "natural gas." In particular, a gas pipeline that the Saudis want to build through Syria to supply Europe and free them from Russia's monopoly of natural gas distribution.
Assad said no to the pipeline because they are friends/allies with Russia and Russia gets a good portion of its revenue from exporting natural gas to Europe so they cannot allow the Saudis (US Ally) to build this pipeline and break their monopoly.
And that my friend is how WW III will start. Over a natural gas pipeline. In a nutshell.