The regime, if you remember, used several car bombs in Beirut to further it's goals even before the war started. They've assassinated several Lebanese intellectuals. Sunnis aren't the only ones using car bombs.
The Nusra are an awful bunch, but let's not paint the regime as any better in that regard.
Also, you assumed that my own mother supported a tyrant like Saddam because she is Sunni. I find that pretty rude.
That's debatable,first if we are going to assume that the regime is indeed responsible for those attacks even tho that has yet to be proven most of the regime generals that could've been responsible for carrying such operations were Sunni, such as Rustom Ghazali, Hassan Turkomani or Ali Mamluk, actually a large number of generals under Assad and his inner circle, such as Walid Al Mualim, are Sunni which underscores the baseless accusation that the regime is sectarian.
I assumed your mother supported Saddam Hussein because of your proclamation that she was bigoted towards Alawittes/Shia, not due to her sect.
I said that Nusra have done horrible things, and that I agree that they are bad. I fail to see how you could interpret that as me saying otherwise.
I understood that as if you were in agreement with their actions.
The majority of Syrians are not going to accept Assad. Plain and simple. Imposing him on the population will only legitimize his criminal genocidal behavior and sow further discord that enables groups like Nusra to flourish.
Also, Assad's government is not "multi religious and ethnic", it's an Alawite government. Following the same framework as Lebanon's confessional system (minus the proportional representation given the Sunni's demographic majority), a more inclusive government could take form in Syria without the Assad's representing the Alawites. Note how I said "more inclusive", a confessional system will still have problems, but not as much as a Alawite oligarchy.
Also, just because the West are bankrolling the Saudi's slaughter in Yemen doesn't make it okay. Supporting dictators have only furthered sectarianism and turmoil in the region. Who do you think put the Shia killing Saddam in power in the first place?
The majority of the Syrian population at this point want a ceasefire, a return to normality. The armed opposition tried to remove Assad and so far they failed, life's tough we can't all get what we want, if they're going to resort to terror because of it then they're going to loose whatever sympathy they have, except from the rest of the Arab world where fundamentalist groups are popular.
Assad's regime was far more inclusive that Lebanon's, the grand majority of the officer's cadre in the army, the grand majority of the government employees were Sunnis, that's a given considering that the Syrian population is over 75% Sunni. Assad's current top generals are Sunni, his former defense minister, who was killed, was a Christian, his political entourage and advisers are mixed, Sunnis, Christians and Alawites. I'm not going to say that Alawites didn't get preferential treatment, but the Sunnis had way better representation in Syria.
I'm just saying to those who think it reprehensible to support Assad, the West isn't above dealing with dictators. They're currently dealing with dictators with more blood on their hands than what Assad is being accused of. If Russian support for Assad would bring balance to the playing field which in turn would bring stability and force the big boys in the UN to find a settlement then so be it. Like I said the people want peace and security first and foremost at this point, all talks about democracy and liberty went out the door two years ago.