It's more that Russia and Iran had other things on their plate

They've been propping Assad up for donkeys years. The whole Ukraine thing and the whole Gaza thing means those minds and munitions are elsewhere.

Turkey wants rid of a few million Syrian refugees it's taken in so it will have at least not opposed the rebels.

As you say the key thing is, can all the groups which came together to topple Assad now deliver at least some kind of tolerant, peaceful outcome for the disparate groups within that country?

I don't think it's likely that people will look back on the Assad period with fondness or nostalgia. He was utterly brutal and ruthless.

Posted By: Old Man, Dec 8, 18:47:01