The locking of the barn door after the horse hath fled is what this article is all about. It's simply too late for the U.S. to prevent slaughter in Syria, because the Russians are there in force and they also have to have a naval base in the Mediterranean, which they are not about to lose. The time for intervention by the western powers has passed. The Russians have anti-aircraft ballistic missiles in place, and will use them. Hillary said in one campaign stop that she would institute a no-fly zone over Syria, and when asked about the Russians said she would discuss this with them. Of course the Russians would be happy to talk, but their answer would be we have said we will shoot, and we will, so don't. It comes down to the need to start a shooting war with the Russians and that would certainly be very unhealthy indeed, and not just for the Syrians in Aleppo.