The time to try to broker a compromise, with Assad’s regime agreeing to reforms that would satisfy the opposition, is long gone (if it ever existed). The purpose of diplomacy now should be to bring about an exit for Assad and his inner circle, and to establish a process for moving to a new, more representative political order based on the rule of law.
此外，由前联合国秘书长安南率领并由联合国支持的外交使团必须彻底重组。该使团希望能在阿萨德政权与反对派之间斡旋，令前者同意推行让后者满意的改革措施，但这样的时机（如果曾经存在过的话）其实早就一去不返了。如今这些外交行动的目的应当是为阿萨德及其亲信提供一条退路，并建立一个向新的，更具代表性，以法治为基础的政治秩序迈进的进程。