I’m inclined to think that Obama (and McCain and others, Dems and GOP) got it wrong in supporting overthrow of Assad by the “Arab Spring” uprisings.
Recall that Obama supported the overthrow of Mubarak in Egypt. We got the Muslim Brotherhood rearming Hamas and killing Copts until fortunately the military took over again.
Obama supported the overthrow of Qaddafi in Libya. We got Benghazi and now Islamic anarchy. “Democracy” in Gaza gave us Hamas.
The military and monarchist dictatorships, including the Assad regime, appear to be more protective of Christians and other religious minorities and leaving their people alone, as long as they don’t rise up in opposition. “Popular uprisings” in Islamic societies do not appear to lead to more tolerance and freedom.
Woe be to Israel and the West if we allow overthrow of the Kings and Emirs in Jordan and the Arabian peninsula.
None of this Shi’ite would be happening if Sadam was left be.
We’ve been getting it wrong since we blundered into the sandbox. Taking out dictators in the Middle East is like dynamiting a dam rather than opening the floodgates. It’s not good for the fish, and it kills everything in its path.