1.0Syria Commenthttps://joshualandis.com/blogJoshuahttps://joshualandis.com/blog/author/syriacomment/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="wmY0bWiN7b"><a href="https://joshualandis.com/blog/assads-fateful-choice-david-w-lesch/">“Assad’s Fateful Choice” by David W. Lesch</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://joshualandis.com/blog/assads-fateful-choice-david-w-lesch/embed/#?secret=wmY0bWiN7b" width="600" height="338" title="““Assad’s Fateful Choice” by David W. Lesch” — Syria Comment" data-secret="wmY0bWiN7b" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); /* ]]> */ </script> Assad’s Fateful Choice by David W. Lesch This spring marks the fifth year anniversary of the events that launched a civil war in Syria.  Typically, there were some huge miscalculations early on that set the conflict in motion, such as the Syrian opposition’s expectation that the West would militarily intervene to facilitate the overthrow of […]https://i.guim.co.uk/img/static/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2015/7/26/1437924975912/c82c211f-dbbc-4ad5-bef0-e63d743fb8c9-2060x1236.jpeg?w=1920&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&s=9bbd044b6f01dda8bff9ddd5cb10a23e