Double standards tangle Syria diplomacy

The United States has railed against Syria's crackdown on civilians, but others would point out that plenty of civilians died after the US-led invasion of Iraq. Russia has declared itself against interference in Syrian affairs, but it is selling many millions of dollars worth of arms to Bashar al-Assad's government. Gulf Arab leaders have declared the right of Syrian rebels to fight against Assad's troops, but they sent their own militaries into neighbouring Bahrain when a peaceful uprising broke out in that country.

Almost every nation involved in the Syrian crisis has tried to stake out the moral highground, but none find themselves free from accusations of hypocrisy and self-interest.

The diplomatic minefield provides Assad with ample opportunity to play sides against each other and in the process survive a little longer.