[DesertRhino]

I’m pleased they are propping up Assad. Every alternative is a Sunni jihadi theocracy. Unless you believe the bedtime story about vetted moderate opposition of course.
All the rebels are head choppers.

[USNBandit]

The external downside to Assad is the relationship between his government and Iran, supporting Hezbollah against Israel. Removing Assad would most likely lead to a more protracted sectarian civil war, with both sides being made up of terror prone groups.

A more important and immediate issue is that we need to face facts in Syria. Putin cleaned our clocks, by putting his own forces into Syria. That takes away a lot of options. What we absolutely don't need is to get in a shooting war over Syria.