SO WHERE DOES TURKEY GO FROM HERE WITH SYRIA?

Assad may not be acting like he is getting the message when Turkey talks, but I would bet he hears them loud and clear.

Stack this on top of his Brother chewing his ear and then at the same time Iran gives him tons of advice and that advice has probably now turned into ultimatums.

The picture I have been trying to paint for over two weeks now is a simple one.

Assad is running out of options and friends.

Turkey turning their back on him, and I'm not convinced that has happened past the point of no return yet,  must give him a feeling of total desperation. 

Assad may be praying for 'status quo' and everyday his forces only manage to murder a few of his citizens probably seems like a good day.

What I find remarkable are the nations that are still privately wishing and probably praying Syria calms down and Assad stays in power.

Most understand what the alternative is and that weighs on their minds more than the death toll.

I can't say that I agree with that theory, but the world is a very imperfect place and can get much worse.

Syria will set the course for Lebanon and Iran and as such it will set the fate of near term future for the whole region.

That is why most nations simply wish this event would just go away.

It is not going to.

It is going to get worse and I fear much worse.

Sometimes, the only news is bad news and bad news must be dealt with.

If a regional, sectarian war is about to unfold, and I'm not sold that has to happen, then minimizing the damage is a critical goal.

If a regional war based on Iran's inability to stabilize it's future is about to happen, the event I really fear, then again we must minimize the results.

No nation wants a war in the Middle East right now, but sticking our heads in the sand and praying it all goes away is far more dangerous than talking about the horror of such a war.