Syria has been "falling" for years - it has been in a long, protracted civil war. In fact, Syria was in a weakened state ever since Bashar inherited Syria from his father. Like I've said before, Bashar has no natural leadership skills, but did allow his brutal under-lords to terrorize his citizens to keep his government in power.
The Assad regime likely would have fallen decades ago if Russia didn't make a deal with Bashar to prop up his government in exchange for a strong military presence in the middle east.
I do agree that Bashar protected Christians in Syria better than these new Muzzy-Thugs will treat them. You get no argument from me on that issue. I believe (
but cannot prove) that many Alawites (i.e. Assad's clan) came from an ancestry of forced-converted Christians. The new Thugs hate Alawites and Christians.
Israel's bombardment of Syrian military sites probably did weaken Syria further to a significant extent, to an extent that allowed the Muzzy-Thugs to overthrow Assad. However, I don't blame Israel for doing this because Israel's enemies were using Syria to attack Israel. Israel would have been foolish to have taken a "hands-off" approach to Syria.
There are many problems with Syria. Geographically It is wedged between the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) and the Persian Empire (Iran). Much of Syria is landlocked and desolate - very difficult land to control and defend. Bashar decided to form an alliance with Iran as opposed to Turkey. The other part of Syria is wedged between Lebanon and Turkey, on the Mediterranean. Because of how Syria treated Lebanon (formerly part of Syria), much of Lebanon is not very friendly toward Syria. Because of how Syria engaged in war decades ago with Israel, Israel is not friendly toward Syria.
So, here's Syria, surrounded by some really powerful enemies. It was lead by a guy, Bashar, who for all practical purposes is an anointed King, who would rather be a physician treating people in England. Bashar did not have anything close to the temperament it takes to run a country, let alone a country with Syria's problems. Bashar knew this. He made one big mistake by allowing his government to brutalize certain groups of people in order to keep the Alawites in power - this came back to haunt him. The other mistake he made was partnering with Russia. Now, I can forgive Bashar for making that mistake. His partnering with Russia likely propped up his regime for at least 10 years longer than it would have survived. And, Bashar was ultimately able to get himself and his family out of Syria to a safe location when his government lost power.
Here's where you, Candice and even Scott Horton, lack perspective. They don't understand who the Alawites are, who Hafez Al-Assad was or who Bashar Al-Assad is. For a long time, I have been intrigued and perplexed by Bashar. I have read what I could about him, his family and his people. I have never thought that Bashar was some kind of evil tyrant. In fact, everything points to the contrary. I do believe his father toward the end of his life reluctantly forced this square peg into a round circle, outside of which was a seething, deeply ingrained culture of brutality - the various "tribes" that made up Syria.
All of you view Syria through the eyes of what is happening in Israel right now. That's where I part ways with you, and them. This isn't an Israel-thing, or even a USA thing, or for that matter even a Russia thing.