In these circumstances, a no-fly zone would not only clear the skies of Syrian warplanes and missiles, thereby reducing the scale of the slaughter; it would also show Assad and his supporters that he truly is vulnerable. Generals ordered to use chemical weapons would have to reckon with the prospect that the regime could, actually, fall, and that they then might find themselves on trial for war crimes.
在这样的环境下，禁飞区不但能让叙利亚战机和导弹从天空上小时，从而减小屠杀的规模；还能像巴沙尔及其支持者证明，他实在是孱弱不堪。下令使用化学武器的将军将不得不考虑巴沙尔政权被推翻、他们以战争罪被送上法庭的风险。