All we need from Assad is an agreement not to shoot at those of our planes that enter his air space to bomb IS targets. Such agreement should be done sub rosa, out of the public eye. Then we carpet-bomb IS, not because we wish to win but because we wish them to lose, presumably to Assad in Syria and to Bagdad or Kurdistan in Iraq.
If Assad retakes his country, are we much worse off than before the Syrian civil war began? Maybe a little as today Assad is closer to Iran - no friend of the U.S. - than formerly.
On the other hand, Assad won't want to become an Iranian satrap. We can expect him to continue to put the interests of Alawite-run Syria first.
Beinart does cite one problem for which I have no solution:
Given that President Obama called on Assad to leave power three years ago and last year almost bombed him for using chemical weapons, even a tacit alliance with the Syrian dictator would make Obama’s past flip-flops look trivial.It is certainly true that our reluctant President would have to eat a large, disgusting helping of crow if the U.S. appears to be helping Assad, even in the absence of a formal alliance. To date Obama has demonstrated little appetite for walking back earlier pronouncements.
