The Arab Spring captured the imagination of every country. As we speak, Montreal's  main Museum has a show that glorifies "Revolution" . The  Syrian scenario envisaged by the youth AND by the US/EU was Assad surrendering in the face of mass demonstrations as did the leaders in Tunisia and Egypt, or failing that we would intervene to kill the leader (as in Libya).  

The problem was that the Syrian mainstream (secular, Christian, commercial, as well as the Shia Alawites) had lived through previous Muslim Brotherhood uprisings and, rightly or wrongly, judged that a firm response was essential to the survival of  a viable Syria.  After three months of futile watercannons and police action at the start of 2011, the Army was deployed under orders to squash illegal demonstrations - which it did.  Seven years later, with a half million killed in a civil war financed and supported by us all, we are realising we should have helped Assad in 2011 to do what Sisi did in Egypt in one day.