Reply #4: Agreed, left to it's own devices anyway.

[bemildred]

Not that that will happen. Another British colonial arrangement collapsing, perhaps. I really have no idea what the eventual result will look like though, depends on who gets involved and how much. Assad has more and better friends than Ghaddaffi did, IMHO. So five years works fine.

Edit: I suppose that would have to be British/French, credit where credit is due.