ledge, strategy and will to secure these? Second, post Assad Syria is going to be a mess. It will require a se

dominate the country's political life. Regarding the widespread upheaval in Syria, the Saudis will work to ensure that any potential transition to a post-Assad era is as peaceful and as free of Iranian meddling as possible. Regarding Israel, Riyadh is adamant that a just settlement, based on King Abdullah's

ng, Erdogan and his foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, who have long harboured regional leadership ambitions, seem to be positioning themselves for a post-Assad future. In this push towards the Syrian endgame they plainly have the enthusiastic backing of the US, for whom they are effectively acting as a local