Tariq Ali says we are witnessing in Syria "a new form of re-colonisation, which we saw in Iraq and in Libya. Many of the people who first rose against the Assad regime, says Ali, have been sidelined, leaving the Syrian people with limited choices, neither of which they want: either a Western imposed regime, "composed of sundry Syrians who work for the western intelligence agencies", or the Assad regime. 

The only way forward, in the interests of all Syrians, he says, is negotiation and discussion. But it is now obvious that the West is not going to let that happen because they are backing the opposition groups who are against any negotiation.