There is no way to win this at all. Too many factions, too much to lose by Assad. This is an area where the lines are so blurred and change so often as to be different between one day and the next.

Put UK boots on the ground and the death toll will grow on a daily basis.

You want to look like you are doing something without casualty lists in the daily papers, bombing is your only direct action.

Very sad, but very true.