There was never a time in the crisis, until the chemical-weapons issue erupted, when US military intervention in any form seemed likely to save more lives than it would endanger. The increasing influence of jihadists in the rebel ranks made support for an outright opposition victory increasingly untenable.
但我们必须考虑到其中的诸多限制。直到化武问题爆发之前，美国军事干预在危机中害人的机率从来都大于救人的机率。圣战者在叛军队伍中的影响日益扩大让反对派获得全胜的可能性越来越小。至少在叙利亚总统巴沙尔·阿萨德在8月的古塔（Ghouta）大屠杀中使用化学武器之前，无论是在联合国安理会还是全球舆情领域，根本没有足够的铁证能够迫使俄国重新考虑其对阿萨德政权的习惯性支持。