The only way to reassure them (and to encourage them to defect) is with an opposition that becomes truly national and articulates principles that appeal to all Syrians. Western governments need to work much more closely with the divided and relatively inexperienced opposition if this imperative is to be met.
如果叙利亚反对派能证明阿萨德政权的替代政府确实会是公开且包容的话，那么叛逃现象将继续增加。人口占少数的穆斯林阿拉维派信徒害怕自己将遭受萨达姆倒台后伊拉克逊尼派教徒的境况，而令他们重树信心（并鼓励其弃暗投明）的唯一方法就是要让反对派确实由来自全国的民众组成并对所有叙利亚人一视同仁。如果要符合这一重要条件的话，西方各国政府就必须与这个内部存在分歧且相对缺乏经验的反对派展开紧密合作。