I think at this point it is possible that if Russia and the U.S. could figure out how to create a stable situation something like a North Syria and South Syria maybe with different governments might be possible, where Sunnis could live in one area and the Shias in another. If Russia could be assured of the safety of it's 50,000 citizens living there since the 1960s and after and if they could keep their only warm water port then maybe something could be worked out.
Since the U.S. doesn't have the will at present either militarily or financially, this also could create something like what happened to end the Balkan War during the 1990s by President Clinton and NATO. However, soul searching by both sides needs to be done in order to create an agreement now. It obviously will go on for years and years if Russia and the U.S. don't sit down and create an agreement like they did after World War II and after the Soviet Union collapsed. Russia will never back down on Syria otherwise unless they get some of the things they want. And the U.S. will never back down on Syria unless they get some of the things they want. A meeting of Russia and the U.S. likely is the only way to stop the atrocities (at least the major ones) like hundreds of deaths at a time from the Assad government killing Sunnis with chemical weapons unless the U.S. and Russia sit down and stop being in denial all this is going on and make some agreement either in public or in private.
However, I don't think Hezbollah, Al Qaeda, Iran, or Assad will want to be a part of this agreement or would agree to anything at all between them. But, if the U.S. and Russia agree either privately or publicly I think 50% to 70% of the atrocities could be stopped within 6 months of such an agreement.
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