Syria needs a negotiated peace. I know it seems to be far, far away at the moment but cruise missiles are not answer any more than chemical weapons. If the "West" attacks and the rebels achieve victory through more massive loss of life, we would probably looking at next step of civil war, between "Western" backed more secular rebels and the al-Nusra Front etc. More cruise missiles and at the same time possibly more ethnic cleansing.

Syrian minorities that have supported or are thought to support the government could be the next Palestinians in the Middle East, stranded on refugee camps. Syria needs a peace that allows all of its people to come home.

Outright rebel victory in Syria would also lead to more bloodshed in Iraq, as the Guilf despotates clearly see Syria as abase from which to reconquer Iraq to the Sunnis and al-Qaeda seems to agree.

I have no illusions about the Syrian government, but I have also no illusions about armed rebel groups or the foreign states backing them.