10/18/16, 10:34 AM The Debate Over Syria Has Reached a Dead End | The Nation Page 1 of 21 https://www.thenation.com/article/the-debate-over-syria-has-reached-a-dead-end/?print=1 T (https://www.thenation.com/login/) MIDDLE EAST ARMED CONFLICTS SYRIAN CIVIL WAR By Bassam Haddad TODAY 1:04 PM F T E P The Debate Over Syria Has Reached a Dead End Two mutually exclusive, warring narratives now dominate discussions—and neither is sufficient to bring the country back from the brink.