First off, nowhere have I ever said removal of Assad was my goal or the admins goal. It might be a deep state goal, but don’t attribute that to me. I have espoused it was a mistake when Clinton/Obama disposed of Muammar Gaddafi. The dictator has played a role in keeping worse factions under thumb.
As to the comment of “Under Assad, Christians and other groups have survived”, I don’t know. I have no personal experience with that. How do I know that’s not just propaganda and that life as a Christian in Syria is not hell? Seems like many have been displaced by the conflict. Do you know that Christians have it better under Assad, or is that just a talking point?
One article that you could google states that last spring “Syrian Christians rejected protestors’ demands for embattled president Bashar al-Assad to resign. But Christians did broadly endorse democratic reforms that would bring an end to dictatorship.” That doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement of Assad. Sounds more like a people terrified of the circumstances and afraid that things could be worse. Some may have to learn to pick up arms and defend themselves.
You’ve got the right idea there. Some posters like to pick and choose their history about Assad’s regime “supporting” and “protecting” Christians. Which is a bit of sophistry. One only needs to look into what was a significant Christian enclave and in Christian Beirut the economic center in effect of the ME. Here, those not towing the Assad regime line are gun down and blown to bits and prominent Christian leaders in Lebanon who opposed Assad’s interventions in Lebanese politics have been regularly assassinated by Assad agents one of the prominent ones being Pierre Gemayel, a prominent Christian politician in Lebanon, was shot dead by gunmen in a Beirut suburb on 21 November 2006. All evidence points to Assad.
The Maronite Christian General Michael Aoun was appointed as President of the Council of Ministers by the president in the late 80’s - Muslims opposed his appointment BECAUSE he was a Christian. He had regional and popular support but one thing - the Syrians backed his opposition fought his forces and Aoun fled when the Syrian forces occupied the presidential palace.
Some might point to various interventions in Lebanon which seemingly helped the Christians but the reality was that it was only done because Assad’s regime would control the political process in Lebanon. You don’t play along you’re a dead man and often Maronite Christians were the victims.