Syria is a internationally recognized country just like say Israel is. Both are UN members. Bashar Al Assad is the president of Syria. He is in power because he has  sufficient fallowing of Syrians who prefer the Assad regime to any other alternative. 
The gas attack you speak of is a fabrication therefore fake news. The hundreds of thousands of dead in this war
were produced by both sides not only by the "Syrian Arab Army". The refugees can return provided they wish to live in peace with their shiite cousins.
This is a civil war with religious undertones. Not unlike the 30 year's War of Successions was in Europe in 17th Century.
I would hope that for the sake of balance and intellectual integrity there sill be an article on the liberation of the city of Mosul.