[silverleaf]

LOL! Lavrov and Putin know there is no real “Free Syrian Army”

They have asked repeatedly to meet with FSA leadership to discuss a political reform and the US French Saudis and Turks have declined to identify them

The Russians have offered to help the “FSA” fight against ISIS and got some internet reply

At best they may co-opt some former Syrian army officers into joining talks with Assad on condition of being pardoned for desertion and killing fellow Syrian soldiers, police, postal workers and citizens

[Ben Ficklin]

The underlying issue is regime change. The US, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and FSA want regime change. Russia and Iran are opposed to regime change, but for different reasons.

The primary reason for the Russian intervention was to enhance Assad's negotiating position.

There is an obvious solution. Russia has gone chest deep in Syria so let them foot the bill for a while and stew in their own juices. The US is only ankle deep in Syria, limited to providing arms to FSA.

I think it will be interesting to see if Putin, Iran, and Assad can drive FSA, Nusra, Kurds, and ISIS out of Aleppo/northern Syria.