Given that most of the Middle East is now in a state of turmoil, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson should be commended for keeping the Syrian conflict in mind during his recent trip to the region.
His job hasn't been easy. American diplomacy has been all but invisible in the Middle East and the State Department does not seem to have any ideas or, more importantly, funding with which to take the lead. If the United States is serious about addressing the increasingly deadly crisis in Syria, it needs to start showing sustained interest — and put its money where its mouth is.
The complexity of the situation in Syria has far surpassed the world's capacity to master it. Rapidly changing events, a growing number of players and constantly shifting battle lines all point to a quagmire.