There are something like ONE million Syrian refugees in Turkey living in tents, TWO million displaces Syrians (i.e. away from home squatting somewhere), almost 100,000 dead - ALL because they believed in the honesty and integrity of the U.S. in support of a democratic transition in Syria. If the U.S. had no strategic interest in toppling the Assad regime - then why put these desperate people through all this?

The situation in Syria will speak volumes to the people of Iran who will watch and learn who they can trust when it comes to toppling the regime in Tehran. This is human tragedy that was totally avoidable, and absolutely unjustified. The people of Syria have been let down by their arms providers - Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia (along with their secret allies: Israel). Interestingly, the only constant, the only entity that stood firm and steadfast throughout all this - have been the Mullahs in Iran and their proxy Hezbollah. Not even the Russians were consistently with Assad (they vacillated) carefully calculating the benefits of their energy partnership with Israel, versus getting engaged with Syria...and finally deciding that Syria along with Lebanon's fields in the Mediteranean offered them more. This is a strategic disaster for the U.S., a strategic disaster for Israel - and now even the Turks are back pedaling with Erdogan making a disingenuous attack at Israel yesterday in public. And the Mullahs in Iran have defacto won the strategic battle - all the way from Iraq to Lebanon solidly under Iranian influence. This is a massive strategic gain for Iran - and for now a huge strategic defeat and humanitarian disaster for the U.S. and its allies. Very very bad.

In the end, the only option left for U.S. at this time is to formalize their alliance with the Mullahs and in the end make Iranian gains their 'own' gains. Its time now for a massive - consequential - deal with the Mullahs. Kerry and Hagel will now have ONE singular strategic objective, and that will be to bring Iran fully into the American fold.

The question I have is, no matter what the motivations for the U.S.; would you trust the U.S. if you were Iranian (either inside or outside the regime). Does a high level deal for anyone have value? If the U.S. can do a u-turn in Syria and let down millions of Syrians and cause a humanitarian disaster - so ruthlessly - how can they be trusted in any deal they make? If you were the Mullahs - would you engage in a comprehensive 'deal' with the U.S.? If you were leaders of Iran's opposition would you make a 'deal' with the U.S.?

In some ways, the debacle in Syria is even worse than the debacle in Iraq. At least in Iraq, the U.S. stuck with it and even though it cost trillions of dollars they saw it through. Yes, they handed Iraq to the Mullahs - but they saved face. In Syria - they have screwed up royally. They are leaving - with nothing but a humanitarian disaster to show for it (with news being carefully blacked out from the media at home ...no cameras in the refugee camps... etc.)

Even with Israel's hollow war threats, even with sanctions, even with an Iranian son-in-law; and Hagel apparent pro-Mullah posture in the past ...they have not provided any Iranian with any confidence to deal with them. Its the unfortunate truth. Very sad, very very sad. When history is written in years to come, mark my words, the Syrian debacle will be seen as worse than the debacle in Iraq. And it will have a long-term negative strategic consequence for America and American aspirations in the Middle East. Every major step the U.S. takes ends up actually strengthening the Mullahs in Iran. This is a fact.

The Syrian and Iranian foreign ministers on Saturday accused the United States of double standards over the Obama administration’s decision to provide aid to rebels fighting to topple President Bashar Assad, saying this will only prolong the