If Bashar Assad is against terrorists using his country as a haven, by God we should support him. I don’t care if he is an SOB. If he goes away, Syria will become a mess worse than Libya.
I have nothing against using Assad’s forces to kill ISIS/Al Qaeda and other extremist terrorist groups. In fact, I encourage it. A nice way to get rich of Hezbollah soldiers, who are very good psychopaths.
However, we have to do it in a covert way, for now.
Remember, the US scored a major coup by supplying both sides of the Iran-Iraq conflict in the 1980’s though most journalists have no idea what actually happened. Ollie North and the boys pulled off a trifecta of successes, or maybe a Quadafecta.
Armed Iraq (initially) and then Iran, so that they could kill each other en masse and thus present much less a threat to Israel, Jordan, etc.
Kept Israeli lines of contact open with elements in the Iranian military (until they were wiped out by Khomeini).
Got money from Iran to send to the freedom-fighters in Nicaragua which helped stop the marxist dictatorship there from getting solidified. The open and free election ousted Ortega and his reds soon afterwards.
Sometimes you’ve got to play with the devil(s), but only do so if you’ve got him/them by the balls.
Assad’s quite cuddly with Hezbollah terrorists - a group which has a long list of American deaths to its name.