Will Assad use chemical weapons? Will Assad leave quietly as Obama has demanded? Can Assad leave at all? The ruling Alawite ruling class, a minority in Syria, understand full well that if Assad leaves they will be slaughtered, and so it is in their interest to see that Assad stays in power, and they will do anything to keep him in power.

If you wish you can surely then threaten a

Guy who has studied the retina

And his pupils who think

If Assad dares to blink

That they a thick noose will be getting’ a

The eye of the god on papyrus

Shows that Horus had quite a large iris

With the falcon god gone

Down the hill with the dawn

Assad cries we won’t quit till they fire us