Thomas Friedman - Syria, Obama and Putin

If we want something better — multisectarian democracy in Syria soon — we would have to go in and build it ourselves. The notion that it would only take arming more Syrian moderates is insane.

If a grand strategy to pacify the area accepts that Syria has to split up then let moderate Sunnis who fled Syria and now are in Jordanian refugee camps self develop a Syrian enclave on the border with Jordan protected and funded by the allies to expand north and westward so as to relieve Jordan and Europe of those fleeing political dysfunction.  Isolate and contain Assad in his Alawite enclave by the sea.  Fully fund and protect the Kurdish enclave in Northern Syria so it expands south and westward along the Turkish border and ignore Turkey's protestations.  Finally make life difficult for ISIS by starving it of oil revenues with the bombing of drilling and refining facilities.