american interventions around the globe, one factor looms large. when washington allied with a local force that's capable and viewed as legitimate, it succeeded. without such locals, all the outside effort, aid, fire power and training can only do so much, whether in afghanistan, iraq or syria. if obama's goal is a peaceful, stable, multi-sectarian dcy in syria, then it requires a vast american commitment on the scale of iraq. if not, washington has to accept reality and make some tough choices. the two big ones are whether to stop opposing assad and whether to accept that syria will have to be partitioned. if defeating isis is important, then it has to become the overriding priority allying with any outside forces that will join the fight.