I want to see the fall of Assad's regime, but I want to see a secular democracy in its place. Not a client state of some other world power, not some other autocrat, and not a theocracy either. The question is, assuming this is pretty much what the rest of us would like to see, how would we get from here to there?
Toppling Assad will leave a vacuum. Who knows who/what might fill it? What we do know is that something would, and we might not like it very much. In fact, it might be appreciably worse than Assad.
We could do as some politicians have suggested - arm the rebels, balance the situation so Assad doesn't have such overwhelming force to call on. Of course, that will prolong the agony. Approx. 1400 people died in the Damascus gas attack. About 1500 - 1700+ have died by more conventional means since. Helping drag the conflict on for months or years, benefits no one.
So what can we do? Here's my suggestion. Feel free to disagree, but your reasoning for doing so would be appreciated.
The partition of Syria. Syria as it is now, is the creation of Western powers (as are most of the nations of the Middle East). Partition isn't going to impact on age-old borders and the like, and anyway, it need not be anything but temporary. The Alawite population are no doubt terrified of the retribution that would be visited upon them by any new regime. So why not an Alawite state? Leave them to make what they will of Assad. Alongside that, a UN protectorate. Kick out the Islamists of Al-Qeada & their ilk, let a secular democracy arise - the UN Declaration of Human Rights would make a pretty good Bill of Rights for the new Free Syria. And maybe, at some future moment in time, the old Syria might be fit to be reunited with it's neighbour.