But denouncing Assad or Russia is unlikely to produce any effect except to assure domestic audiences that the West is on the side of the angels in the conflict. Likewise, proclaimed support for disparate, barely-known rebel groups; demands for dead-on-arrival sanctions resolutions; feckless calls for Assad’s departure (as if he plans to take the advice); and half-baked ideas about enforced “safe areas” (an utter failure in Bosnia) are unlikely to spare many lives, much less bring about the endgame that is so desperately needed.
但除了能使当地听众确信西方是站在好人一方之外，谴责阿萨德或者俄罗斯起不到任何作用。同样，对那些杂七杂八鲜为人知的反抗团体表示支持；要求执行那些几乎毫无实施可能性的制裁方案；胡乱要求阿萨德离境（好像他愿意接受这个建议的样子）；以及那些不成熟的关于建立“安全区”的想法（在波斯尼亚就遭遇了彻底的失败），都不足以拯救许多生命，也更无法带来人们迫切需要的冲突终结。