It's too simplistic. Russia doesn't support Christians except by accident since Assad supports them. The US doesn't support ISIS except for McCain, Obama and a couple other exceptions. If we wanted to, we could have taken out Assad. But we definitely want him in there, but under reasonable control.
Exactly. It was a precise hit.
“If we wanted to, we could have taken out Assad. But we definitely want him in there, but under reasonable control.”
No question about either of your statements. Both are absolutely true.
The military actions Trump, the UK, and France took did not weaken the Assad regime, but merely punished it for using poison gas by taking out the facilities (including airfields) thought to be directly involved in the gas attacks. I suspect that Assad is simply being “told” what he can and cannot do in the conduct of his civil war.