We are in Act 2 of the Syrian Kabuki Theater Show. Act 3 is lifting sanctions and $500B in oil.

[Maven]

Joe Romm at ThinkProgress called it back in January:

Did Putin help elect Trump to restore $500 billion Exxon oil deal killed by sanctions
Follow the money: Will Trump repay Putin by ending Russian sanctions and killing the Paris climate deal?

But it appears our democracy and our children have a new axis to worry about: Putin, Trump, and ExxonMobil, whose CEO Rex Tillerson — an extreme Russophile and long-time director of a US-Russian oil company — is Trump’s puzzling choice for Secretary of State.
...
But that puzzle disappears if we follow the famous dictum from the Watergate era for uncovering a tangled web of covert campaign acts: “Follow the money.” And perhaps another puzzle is also solved: Why did Putin take such a “fearful risk,” as Frum put it, to “mount a clandestine espionage and disinformation campaign on behalf” of Trump and against Clinton, “when Putin had every reason to expect that he probably would end up facing a President Clinton,” and a tremendous backlash.
...
But a half trillion dollars to line their pockets and prop up the Russian economy offers a much more tangible motivation for team Putin to get Trump elected. And it was Tillerson who had made the $500 billion oil deal with Putin that got blocked by sanctions.
...
Indeed, if Trump and Tillerson instead end the sanctions that are blocking the Exxon-Rossneft deal, it is going to look suspiciously like a half trillion dollar quid pro quo for Putin’s help getting elected.

The latest stories about Tillerson "getting tough" on Russia, or the U.S./Russia relationship "sinking to new lows"? I think we all know that is a charade. A cover, so that Tillerson can visit his pal Putin without adding fuel to the fire of the Trump/Russia scandal.

And now, right on cue:

Trump officials tell Russia to drop its support for Syria’s Assad

The final act will be Tillerson negotiating a "grand bargain" with Putin to replace Assad in exchange for sanctions being lifted. Trump looks like the conquering hero and peacemaker, while Exxon and Rosneft (i.e., Putin) walk away with hundreds of billions of dollars in oil money. Putin's gambit, all along.

I see many on DU describing the Syria incident as a "distraction". It is, and it isn't. Yes, it has successfully taken attention away from the Trump/Russia scandal. But, paradoxically, it is also part of the scandal -- at the heart of which, I believe, is good old-fashioned greed. And that, we can hope, will be the undoing of all involved.

[2naSalit]

1. Yup.

[atreides1]

2. Putin won't replace Assad!

Putin holds all the cards and he knows it! Assad has provided the Russians with access to a Mediterranean port, as well as access to a "stable" non-US aligned country in the Middle East!

Putin has enough to not only destroy Trump, but the entire Republican party, especially when you consider the Nunes fiasco!

Trump is going to have to do better then just lifting sanctions...because Putin isn't going to satisfied, until he gets everything he wants!!!

[MedusaX]

3. Part of the "Deal"

As one would expect..
On many occasions throughout the campaign, 45 talked about making deals...
But I found that when referring to some opportunities he would use phrases like
"Israel will have to be willing to make THE deal"
and "maybe we can make SOME good deals with Russia"

Clearly, these deal making references lack his typical use of unbelievably huuuge amazingly bigly adjectives ... so, why these?

We will find out as soon as the ever reclusive
T-Rexxon emerges from his russian rendezvous proudly possessing a pre-100 day accomplishment for 45 to tout....

It will undoubtedly be an agreement that shifts control of the *important* syrian areas away from Assad and into the hands of someone who will play nice with Iran, Iraq, Russia, Turkey, Jordan, Israel etc and who will be open to Prince Jared's attempts to create peace ....

All of which have been part of the plan since day 1.

I doubt that the sanctions will be lifted at this stage..
I see that as as part of some near future Common Market Trade negotiation .. somehow tied to THE Israel deal... so that it can be played off as a Necessary Sacrifice solely for the benefit & in support of our Israeli brothers....
Blah blah blah

Assad will get part of the Rosneft shares and a cushy retirement gig ... living the Oligarch life...
Or
he will have an unfortunate accident
like slipping in the shower because he still had his clothes & slick soled shoes on... silly Assad!!!

[Qutzupalotl]

4. Congress would have to lift sanctions.

Last I heard there was a lot of pushback to the idea even among Republicans.

Vlad installed Trump thinking he'd be a dictator, perhaps not realizing even dictators have limits here.

[Maven]

5. My bet is they'll be swayed by the prospect of ending Assad's regime, going into the 2018 elections.

Who would want to get in the way of that deal? Everybody wins, right?

ETA: Here comes Spicer, talking about how we need to remove Assad. All of a sudden this is their top priority?

[Lucinda]

6. It's playing out pretty much as I predicted...so far, anyway

I was criticized for calling this political theatre...but that is what it's been. Only with real life or death consequences, as added horror.

[Maven]

8. I've read some of your posts on this subject

and I think they have been spot-on.

[Lucinda]

10. Thank you! I've found some great resources on twitter and

it really helps me pull information together. There are a lot of moving parts to keep an eye on, and twitter is usually on top of everything as it is happening.

[Hugin]

7. Shhh... They think no-one knows.

It's a seeecret, man!

[ananda]

9. This sounds exactly right.

With 45 and Tillerson, it's always about money and business deals,
nothing else.