We should have learned by now that if we go in to try to help those with the greatest suffering, all that will happen is one faction or the other will become dominant (again), they'll then turn on us like they've done before, they'll bring in their own form of oppression for "the people" (mostly comprising "the other faction") but both lots will attack us and may even enlist "help" from other like-minded countries under similar "rule".

They want to be part of the twenty-first century on the one hand but retain all the idiotic horrors and beliefs of the tenth century on the other.

Russia may be playing a clever game. They say the West should keep out of it, rattle their sabres, move a few ships and shout the odds but they probably want Assad out really but they want "The West" to do the deed for them so they can be seen as "The Good Guy".

We should leave them to stew in their own juice and be done with it.