Story highlights Analysts say there are no good options for the U.S. in Syria

The U.S. has laid out evidence that Syria has used chemical weapons

Obama vowed to act if Syria crossed that 'red line'

Syria's civil war began in 2011

As more than one pundit has noted , President Barack Obama now has three choices in Syria: Bad, worse, and horrible. At least the evidence is steadily stacking up to suggest that is the case.

Last year, Obama made it clear that the United States would take action if Syria crossed "a red line" by using chemical weapons in its civil war. And there's evidence that it has.

What's not clear is what kind of action the United States will or should take.

Some of the players in that troubled country's civil war are more unsavory than others, but there appears to be no clear or reliable "good side" behind which the president might deploy U.S. military might at this moment.

Indeed, military, political, and diplomatic analysts widely agree that every potentially positive move on the table is freighted with negative side effects.

"I think there are no good options in Syria," says retired Army Gen. James "Spider" Marks, a CNN contributor. "There is an array of bad options and you have to take the least bad option that is out there."

So let's break down those options, including some that have already come and gone in this tortured march toward a possible military engagement:

Option 1: Ground troops

The White House called this a non-starter from the get go. You don't have to be a political scientist to know that American voters are exhausted by more than a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and would show little or no tolerance for more boots on the ground in the Middle East.

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Furl the flag, lieutenant; no one is going anywhere tonight.

Option 2: Establishing a no-fly zone

Yes, it might work, but the administration has shown little taste for that, either. Maintaining such a presence over the months it might take to have an impact would be hideously expensive, and would involve endangering U.S. pilots with highly uncertain results in a battle that many Americans find confusing at best, baffling at worst.

Option 3: Arming the rebels

This is a monkey trap in which the United States has been snared before.

Some brave rebel group proclaiming its love of freedom and democracy arises to oppose a distant tyrant. America rewards the rhetoric with training, missiles and munitions. The coup is accomplished and suddenly, to paraphrase Woody Allen, the oppressed start looking a lot like the oppressors and they no longer return your phone calls.

In Syria it is even more complicated.

As the civil war has droned on against President Bashar al-Assad, interlopers affiliated with terrorist groups have become big-leaguers.

"Al Qaeda's affiliate in Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra, is generally acknowledged to be the most effective force fighting," says CNN National Security Analyst Peter Bergen who adds, "Al-Nusra's military prowess and close ties to al Qaeda make it a potentially serious threat to U.S. interests in the region."

Syria watchers roundly agree that no other rebel group is currently positioned to take control of the country. In other words, if the United States pushes too hard or too fast to overthrow al-Assad (even though in the long run, American officials do want him gone) the U.S. risks helping terror groups take power.

And you know what they say about the devil you know...

Option 4: Securing United Nations' support

Not going to happen without some other major developments in Syria. Russia and China have left no doubt that they will oppose any effort at the U.N. to approve a strike, and other countries have hardly shown much appetite for the subject.

Photos: Protests against military action in Syria Photos: Protests against military action in Syria Protests against military action in Syria – A protester demonstrates against potential U.S. intervention in Syria on Saturday, September 7, in Chicago. President Barack Obama has sought congressional approval to attack Syria in response to allegations that the Syrian regime had used chemical weapons on their own people. Hide Caption 1 of 11 Photos: Protests against military action in Syria Protests against military action in Syria – People carry signs to protest U.S. intervention in Syria on September 7 in Chicago. Hide Caption 2 of 11 Photos: Protests against military action in Syria Protests against military action in Syria – Indian students hold photographs during a protest against military intervention in Syria on Wednesday, September 4, in Hyderabad. Hide Caption 3 of 11 Photos: Protests against military action in Syria Protests against military action in Syria – Demonstrators protest against military involvement in Syria outside the Houses of Parliament in London on Thursday, August 29. British Prime Minister David Cameron failed to secure Parliament's approval for military intervention in Syria. Western powers have debated the use of military force against Syria's government in response to a chemical weapons attack outside Damascus. Hide Caption 4 of 11 Photos: Protests against military action in Syria Protests against military action in Syria – A Syrian-American supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad participates in an anti-war rally in New York's Times Square on August 29. Hide Caption 5 of 11 Photos: Protests against military action in Syria Protests against military action in Syria – Demonstrators, including former CIA analyst Ray McGovern, second from left, gather on the north side of the White House to protest possible U.S. military action against Syria on August 29. Hide Caption 6 of 11 Photos: Protests against military action in Syria Protests against military action in Syria – A supporter of the Syrian regime demonstrates August 29 in Paris against possible Western military involvement in Syria. Hide Caption 7 of 11 Photos: Protests against military action in Syria Protests against military action in Syria – Protesters rally in front of the U.S. Embassy in Athens, Greece, on August 29 against potential NATO military action and Greek involvement in Syria. Hide Caption 8 of 11 Photos: Protests against military action in Syria Protests against military action in Syria – Palestinians, waving the Syrian and Palestinian national flags, demonstrate against possible Western military intervention in Syria in the West Bank city of Nablus on August 29. Hide Caption 9 of 11 Photos: Protests against military action in Syria Protests against military action in Syria – A Ukrainian shouts anti-NATO slogans during a protest in support of the Syrian regime in Sevastopol, Ukraine, on August 29. Hide Caption 10 of 11 Photos: Protests against military action in Syria Protests against military action in Syria – A protester stands outside Downing Street in London on Wednesday, August 28, to campaign against Western military intervention in Syria. Hide Caption 11 of 11

Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar Al-Assad's political career – An undated photo shows current Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, second from left, posing with his family. Al-Assad's parents, then-President Hafez Assad and his wife, Anisa, in front, and his siblings in the second row; Maher, Bassel, Majd and Bushra. Hide Caption 1 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – Al-Assad is seen in an 1997 photograph during the time his father, President Hafez Assad, reshuffled the top of the Syrian military. The move was seen as an effort to clear the way for al-Assad to rise to power. Hide Caption 2 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – Al-Assad waves to supporters as he marches behind the coffin during his father's funeral in Damascus on June 13, 2000. Hide Caption 3 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – A shopkeeper cleans a portrait of al-Assad in Damascus on June 20, 2000, as the ruling Baath Party prepared to wind up its historic congress by consecrating al-Assad as its secretary-general and choosing a new leadership body. Hide Caption 4 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – Syria's 250-member parliament approves by acclamation al-Assad's candidacy to succeed his late father as the country's president on June 27, 2000, in Damascus. Hide Caption 5 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – Al-Assad prepares to deliver a speech to parliament on July 17, 2000. It would be his first speech to parliament after taking the oath of office to become Syria's new president. Hide Caption 6 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – Jordanian King Abdullah ll and al-Assad inspect the honor guard on October 18, 2000, in Amman, Jordan. Hide Caption 7 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – Al-Assad arrives at the airport in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on February 28, 2003. Hide Caption 8 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – Al-Assad and his wife, Asma, pose during their visit to the Acropolis in downtown Athens on December 15, 2003. Hide Caption 9 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – Al-Assad visits Moscow's State Institute for Foreign Relations in Moscow on January 25, 2005, where he was awarded with a honorary doctorate. Hide Caption 10 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Al-Assad's political career – Asma al-Assad plants a jasmine bush with her husband in old Damascus on April 27, 2007. Hide Caption 11 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – Al-Assad addresses the ruling Baath Party's 10th congress in Damascus on June 6, 2005. Hide Caption 12 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – A Syrian woman walks past a large portrait of President al-Assad in downtown Damascus on December 13, 2005. Hide Caption 13 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – Al-Assad and Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad review the honor guard at Damascus airport on January 19, 2006. Hide Caption 14 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – From left: Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and al-Assad talk at the Arab Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on March 28, 2007. Hide Caption 15 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – Two unidentified supporters of al-Assad join him on the balcony as he celebrates the referendum results in Damascus on May 29, 2007. Al-Assad won a second seven-year mandate after netting 97% of the vote in a referendum boycotted by the opposition. Hide Caption 16 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – Al-Assad visits a Saba car production factory on December 13, 2007. Hide Caption 17 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – Bashar and Asma al-Assad listen to Syrian artist Elias al-Zayat during a visit to an exhibition at the national museum in Damascus on February 23, 2008. Hide Caption 18 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – Moammar Gadhafi and al-Assad clasp hands at the opening session of the Arab Summit in Damascus on March 29, 2008. Hide Caption 19 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, right, and his Lebanese counterpart, Fawzi Salloukh, shake hands under a portrait of al-Assad in Damascus on October 15, 2008, after signing an agreement to restore diplomatic relations. Hide Caption 20 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – Asma al-Assad, left, appears with her husband and Austrian President Heinz Fischer and his wife, Margit, during a welcoming ceremonies on April 27, 2009, durring a two-day state visit to Vienna. Hide Caption 21 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – Al-Assad is seen at the Al-Shaab Palace in Damascus on June 24, 2009 Hide Caption 22 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – Al-Assad shakes hands with U.S. Under Secretary for Political Affairs William Burns in Damascus on February 17, 2010. Burns met the Syrian leader a day after Washington named its first ambassador to Damascus in five years. Hide Caption 23 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Al-Assad's political career – Al-Assad delivers a speech at Elysee Palace in Paris on December 9, 2010, after sharing a working lunch with his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy, during a two-day official visit to France. Hide Caption 24 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – Syrian demonstrators carry a giant portrait of al-Assad in Damascus on November 28, 2011. Protesters waved Syrian flags and chanted nationalist songs in a demonstration against the Arab League's decision to impose crippling sanctions on the Assad regime. Hide Caption 25 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – A member of the Free Syrian Army holds a burning portrait of al-Assad near the flashpoint city Homs on January 25, 2012. Hide Caption 26 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – Syrians listen to a televised speech by al-Assad in Damascus on June 3, 2012. Al-Assad said that his government faces a foreign plot to destroy Syria and blamed "monsters" for the Houla massacre in a rare televised speech delivered in parliament. Hide Caption 27 of 28 Photos: Photos: Bashar Al-Assad's political career Bashar al-Assad's political career – Al-Assad speaks with the Russian newspaper Izvestia in Damascus on August 26, 2013. He told the newspaper that Western accusations that the Syrian government used chemical weapons are an insult to common sense. Hide Caption 28 of 28

Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian refugees board a boat bound for Turkey at a port in Kyrenia, Cyprus, on Sunday, November 23. Some 220 Syrian migrants crammed onto a fishing boat were rescued by a cruise ship off Cyprus' northern coast after their vessel hit rough seas in the Mediterranean Sea, authorities said. Hide Caption 1 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian Kurdish child looks through the ventilation hole of a tent at a camp in Suruc, Turkey, on Wednesday, November 19. Tens of thousands of people fled the Syrian city of Kobani, alson known as Ayn al-Arab, because of the militant group ISIS. Hide Caption 2 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A fly lands on the toe of 8-year-old Mahmut Munir, a Syrian Kurdish refugee boy from Kobani, inside a tent in Suruc on November 19. The boy was reportedly injured in a mortar attack by ISIS militants. Hide Caption 3 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Kurdish children from the Kobani area speak after receiving food rations at a camp in Suruc on Tuesday, November 18. Hide Caption 4 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian Kurdish refugee pins a picture of her son on a wall in Suruc on Tuesday, November 11. She says he died during a battle in Kobani. Hide Caption 5 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian Kurdish refugees collect clothes and shoes donated by civilians at a camp in Suruc on November 11. Hide Caption 6 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian Kurdish refugees sit outside tents at a camp in Suruc on November 11. Hide Caption 7 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian refugee wraps herself in a blanket as she stands near tents near Sanliurfa, Turkey, on Thursday, October 2. Hide Caption 8 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian Kurds wait behind border fences to cross into Suruc on Sunday, September 28. Hide Caption 9 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Kurdish woman crosses into Suruc on Tuesday, September 23. Hide Caption 10 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian Kurdish boy is vaccinated as he arrives in Suruc on September 23. The United Nations estimates that more than 2.5 million Syrians have fled their country since an uprising in March 2011 spiraled into civil war. Hide Caption 11 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A woman carries belongings across the border between Turkey and Syria on September 23. Hide Caption 12 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian refugee watches the sunrise Wednesday, April 2, after sleeping outside the Center for Temporary Stay of Immigrants in Melilla, Spain. Hide Caption 13 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Mustafa Ahmad, who lost his leg in 2011 when government warplanes bombed his neighborhood in Syria, is fitted with a prosthetic leg at a refugee camp Thursday, March 27, in Jib Janine, Lebanon. Hide Caption 14 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – The U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East delivered humanitarian aid packages to the Yarmouk refugee camps in Syria on Friday, March 21. Hide Caption 15 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A boy uses a tool to dig a hole at the Zaatari refugee camp in northern Jordan on Saturday, March 15. Hide Caption 16 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian refugees enter Turkey via the Cilvegozu border gate in Hatay, Turkey, on Saturday, January 18. Hide Caption 17 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian children cross the border at the Cilvegozu gate on January 18. Hide Caption 18 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian children walk on the street after attending school January 18 in Hatay. Hide Caption 19 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A child looks through a window while food and aid is distributed at a refugee center in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Tuesday, December 17. Hide Caption 20 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A man feeds his child in the Arsal refugee camp in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley on Sunday, December 15. Hide Caption 21 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian children play with snow in the Arsal refugee camp on December 15. Hide Caption 22 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Snow covers the ground at a refugee camp in Arsal on Friday, December 13. Hide Caption 23 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Young Syrian refugees build a snowman following a storm in the Lebanese village of Baaloul on Thursday, December 12. Hide Caption 24 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian refugee widow Ikhlas Halawani feeds her daughter breakfast during a snowstorm in Amman, Jordan, on December 12. Hide Caption 25 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – After crossing into Jordan's Ruweished camp on Thursday, December 5, a Syrian boy searches for his mother while other refugees board a Jordanian military vehicle. Hide Caption 26 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Newly arrived Syrian refugees carry their belongings and children after crossing into Jordan's Ruweished camp on December 5. Hide Caption 27 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian refugees wait in line to receive winter aid kits at the Zaatari refugee camp near Mafraq, Jordan, on Tuesday, December 3. Hide Caption 28 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Refugees watch a new trailer being placed in the Zaatari camp on December 3. Hide Caption 29 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian child looks out from his tent at a refugee camp in Arsal on Friday, November 29. Hide Caption 30 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A girl crosses a puddle during the first snowfall of the season in a refugee camp in Harmanli, Bulgaria, on Wednesday, November 27. Hide Caption 31 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Young Syrian refugees play at the recently opened Vrazhdebna shelter in Sofia on Friday, November 22. Hide Caption 32 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian refugees warm themselves near open fires at a refugee camp in Harmanli on Thursday, November 21. Hide Caption 33 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian refugees go about their daily lives in an Istanbul park on Sunday, November 3. Hide Caption 34 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian refugee uses a rope to climb a tree at the Vrazhdebna shelter on Tuesday, October 29. Hide Caption 35 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian refugees are turned back after being refused entry into northern Iraq on Wednesday, October 23. Hide Caption 36 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Refugees wait to get medical attention at the Vrazhdebna shelter on Saturday, October 19. The shelter is a former school. Hide Caption 37 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian refugee begs with her children on a street in Beirut, Lebanon, on Friday, October 18. Hide Caption 38 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Kurdish women grieve during a visit to a cemetery in Derik, Syria, on Tuesday, October 15. Hide Caption 39 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Young Syrian refugees from Aleppo sit with their mother on the steps of a Beirut bank in September 2013. Hide Caption 40 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Two Syrian refugees sit on a Beirut street in September 2013. Hide Caption 41 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Young Syrian refugees sit with their father as he prepares coffee to sell on a street in Beirut in September 2013. Hide Caption 42 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian refugee boy practices taekwondo at the Zaatari refugee camp near Mafraq in September 2013. Hide Caption 43 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A young Syrian girl washes a pan at the Atme refugee camp along the Turkish border in September 2013. Hide Caption 44 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian refugee children watch Korean and Syrian taekwondo instructors during training at the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan in September 2013. Hide Caption 45 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian woman carries her baby across the border into Turkey at the Cilvegozu border gate in September 2013. Hide Caption 46 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian girl stands with her mother in a makeshift tent as they wait to enter an official refugee camp at the Oncupinar border gate in Kilis, Turkey, in September 2013. Hide Caption 47 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian girl eats a tomato at a temporary refugee camp in the eastern Lebanese town of al-Faour in September 2013. Hide Caption 48 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian refugee girl drinks water from a hose near a temporary refugee camp in an eastern Lebanese town in September 2013. Hide Caption 49 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – In September 2013, Lower Saxony's Commissioner for Migration and Participation Doris Schroeder-Koempf, along with German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich, center, greet the first of many Syrian refugees that have been granted temporary asylum in Germany. Hide Caption 50 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A refugee boy sits on the ground at a temporary refugee camp in the eastern Lebanese town of al-Faour in September 2013. Hide Caption 51 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian refugee children run near their tents at a temporary refugee camp near the Lebanese border in September 2013. Hide Caption 52 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Mustafa Abu Bekir, who was wounded while fighting with the Free Syrian Army, smiles as he meets relatives after crossing the Cilvegozu gate border in Turkey's Hatay province in September 2013. Hide Caption 53 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian refugee family of 26 people shares one room in the Eminonu district of Istanbul in September 2013. Hide Caption 54 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Two Syrian refugee children sit outside a house in Istanbul in September 2013. Hide Caption 55 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A refugee money-changer exchanges currency at the main market at the Zaatari refugee camp near Mafraq in September 2013. Hide Caption 56 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A woman from an Alawite neighborhood in Syria holds her son in September 2013 at the Pir Sultan Abdal foundation in Istanbul. Hide Caption 57 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian refugee displays second-hand shoes for sale at the main market at the Zaatari refugee camp near Mafraq in September 2013. Hide Caption 58 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Photos: Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian refugees arrive at the Pir Sultan Abdal foundation in Istanbul in September 2013. Hide Caption 59 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian refugee workers fix cart wheels at their shop at the Zaatari refugee camp in September 2013. Hide Caption 60 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian boy sits beside his family's belongings in September 2013 as they wait for a vehicle to pick them up after entering Turkey. Hide Caption 61 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian refugees who failed to find shelters at a refugee camp eat and rest by the side of a road a few feet away in September 2013. Hide Caption 62 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian refugees arrive at the Turkish border gate of Cilvegozu in September 2013. Hide Caption 63 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Photos: Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian refugees gather in the village of Salkin after crossing the Syrian-Turkish border in September 2013. Hide Caption 64 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A young Syrian refugee boy sells canned tuna and other food items in the Zaatari refugee camp in September 2013. Hide Caption 65 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Children run past tents at a Syrian refugee camp in Yayladagi, Turkey, in September 2013. Hide Caption 66 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A child pulls a suitcase as Syrian refugees arrive at the Cilvegozu crossing gate in Turkey in August 2013. Hide Caption 67 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A family arrives at the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan in August 2013. Hide Caption 68 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian girl stands behind a fence at Bulgaria's shelter near Lyubimets in August 2013. Hide Caption 69 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A wounded Syrian child is treated in August 2013 at the Israeli Ziv hospital, which is in the northern town of Safed, Israel. Hide Caption 70 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian Kurdish man carries a mattress at sunset at the Quru Gusik refugee camp in Iraq in August 2013. Hide Caption 71 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian refugees listen to safety instructions at the Quru Gusik refugee camp in August 2013. Hide Caption 72 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian refugees walk at the Zaatari refugee camp in July 2013. Hide Caption 73 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – The expanse of the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, as seen from an aerial view in July 2013. The camp was opened on July 28, 2012. Hide Caption 74 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian refugee children walk in the Bab al-Salam refugee camp in Syria's northern city of Azaz in July 2013. Hide Caption 75 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A boy walks with jugs of water in a Beirut neighborhood with a high concentration of Syrian refugees. Hide Caption 76 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian refugees stand with their belongings on June 20, World Refugee Day, at Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan. Hide Caption 77 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian woman and child look out of a refugee camp window in Alman, Lebanon, in June 2013. Hide Caption 78 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A child whose family fled violence in Syria stands at the Arsal refugee camp in Lebanon in June 2013. Hide Caption 79 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A woman uses a fence to dry laundry at the Domiz refugee camp near Kohuk, Iraq, in May 2013. Hide Caption 80 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A boy carries a jug for water at the Maliber al-Salam refugee camp in April 2013. The camp, near the Turkish border, houses internally displaced Syrian families. Hide Caption 81 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A makeshift refugee camp is seen near Syria's border with Turkey in April 2013. Hide Caption 82 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Row after row of temporary shelters fill the Maiber al-Salam refugee camp in Syria in April 2013. Hide Caption 83 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria arrive at the Jordanian border in February 2013. Hide Caption 84 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian girl stands at the entrance of a makeshift home near ruins in Serjilla, Syria, in February 2013. Hide Caption 85 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – The Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, near the Syrian border. Hide Caption 86 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A refugee collects apples and some bread at the Azaz refugee camp along the Syrian-Turkish border. Hide Caption 87 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A refugee visits a clinic with his child at the Azaz refugee camp in February 2013. Hide Caption 88 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A child gets a haircut at a makeshift barbershop at the Azaz refugee camp in February 2013. Hide Caption 89 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian girl looks through the window of a bus where she has lived with her family for the past eight months in February 2013. Hide Caption 90 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Clothes dry at the Qah refugee camp near the Turkish border in January 2013. Hide Caption 91 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A man shows off his pet birds as new Syrian refugees arrive at the Zaatari refugee camp in January 2013. Hide Caption 92 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrian children gather around women washing in the Zaatari refugee camp in January 2013. Hide Caption 93 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – Syrians put up tents at the Zaatari refugee camp in January 2013. Hide Caption 94 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees supplied tents in Al-Marj, Lebanon. Hide Caption 95 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian boy attends school in the Turkish town of Kilis in December 2012. Hide Caption 96 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – A Syrian jumps across the border into Turkey's Sanliurfa province in November 2012. Hide Caption 97 of 98 Photos: Photos: Syria's refugee crisis Syria's refugee crisis – In November 2012, a Syrian refugee waits at a hairdresser's shop inside the Oncupinar camp in Kilis, Turkey. Hide Caption 98 of 98

Photos: Syria's first lady Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – First lady of Syria Asma al-Assad attends an official dinner at Elysee Palace in Paris, on Jun 25, 2001. She grew up in London and has been married to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for 13 years. She worked for JP Morgan as an investment banker before marrying Bashar in 2000, six months after he became president.

Hide Caption 1 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, right, and wife Amsa al-Assad, second from left, speak with the Spanish Queen Sofia and King Juan Carlos as they inaugurate the show "El Esplendor de los Omeyas Cordobeses," on May 3, 2001, in Cordoba, Spain. Hide Caption 2 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – The first lady arrives at No. 10 Downing Street in London to urge a peaceful solution to the Iraqi crisis, on December 16, 2002. Hide Caption 3 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – Asma al-Assad visits her former school, Queens College in central London, on December 17, 2002. Hide Caption 4 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – The first couple meets with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace in London, on December 17, 2002. Hide Caption 5 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – Bashar al-Assad and Asma al-Assad pose for photographers during their visit to Acropolis archaeological site in Athens, Greece, on December 15, 2003. Hide Caption 6 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – Al-Assad attends the first national childhood conference on February 8, 2004, in Aleppo, Syria. The first lady opened the conference with a speech on the status of children and called on parents to listen to their offspring and help them develop their full potential. Hide Caption 7 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – The first lady walks in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, on March 8, 2004. Hide Caption 8 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – Duchess Camilla speaks with Asma al-Assad in Damascus, Syria, on March 22, 2004. Hide Caption 9 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – The first lady attends an Arab women and war conference on March 8, 2004, in Beirut, Lebanon. Hide Caption 10 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – Al-Assad gets an honorary doctorate from Roberto Antonelli, the president of Rome's La Sapienza University, on October 20, 2004, in the Syrian city of Ebla. Hide Caption 11 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – Asma al-Assad and husband tour the Old City in Damascus with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Amina on December 22, 2004. Hide Caption 12 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – During a visit to Moscow's New Names Foundation, Asma al-Assad was awarded with an honorary doctorate on January 25, 2005. Hide Caption 13 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – The Syrian first lady waves under a portrait of her husband, right, and his late father, former President Hafez al-Assad, during the opening ceremony of the Syrian Special Olympics in Damascus, Syria, on May 15, 2006. Hide Caption 14 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – The Syrian first couple plant a jasmine bush in old Damascus on April 27, 2007. Hide Caption 15 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – In a ride for peace, Asma al-Assad, right, leads a pack of female bicyclists in the Ras Shamra area of Latakia in Syria on April 8, 2007. Hide Caption 16 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – Al-Assad smiles as she leaves the Istanbul Modern Museum in Turkey, on October 18, 2007. The day before her husband told reporters that the capital of Syria, Damascus, would back a possible Turkish incursion into northern Iraq to crack down "against terrorist activities" there. "We support the decisions the Turkish government has put on its agenda against terrorism and terrorist activities." Hide Caption 17 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – On the first day of the Eid al-Adha, Asma al-Assad visits a resident at a home for the elderly in Damascus, on December 19, 2007. Hide Caption 18 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – The Syrian first couple celebrate Orthodox Easter with orphans at the Mar Taqla convent in the village of Ma'loula, Syria, on April 27, 2008. Hide Caption 19 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – Asma al-Assad, left, chats with French Culture Minister Christine Albanel and Syrian artist Mustafa Ali on July 12, 2008, in Paris. Hide Caption 20 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – The first lady attends the opening of the Syrian abstract art exhibition in Damascus on July 21, 2008. Hide Caption 21 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – Al-Assad stands in the hull of a replica of a Phoenician ship being build on the Syrian island of Arwad, on July 19, 2008. The ship is handmade and is being constructed using the first materials utilized by Phoenicians who lived in the region. The ship was launched in August 2008, and carried historians and geographers from all over the world following the ancient trade route which started in Arwad. The ship then sailed across to Africa ending its trip in 2009 in Britain where she was put on display at a museum. Hide Caption 22 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – The first lady visits the Omayyad Mosque in Damascus, on October, 21, 2008. Hide Caption 23 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – Al-Assad plants trees with children during a tree planting campaign in Yafour, Syria, on December 5, 2009. Over 3,000 trees, including pine, cypress, linden and wild pear, were planted. Hide Caption 24 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – The first couple arrive in the capital of Tunis, Tunisia, on July 12, 2010. Hide Caption 25 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – During an athletics gathering in Damascus, al-Assad watches as a young person paints on September 5, 2010. Hide Caption 26 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – Syrian's first couple, left, and Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov review an honor guard on November 9, 2010, during an official welcoming ceremony in Sofia, Bulgaria. It is the first visit to Bulgaria by a Syrian leader in 24 years. Hide Caption 27 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – Asma al-Assad, right, and husband Bashar sit at the Coupole restaurant in Paris on December 10, 2010. Hide Caption 28 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – The couple depart a Claude Monet exhibition on December 11, 2010, in Paris. Hide Caption 29 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – The first lady listens to a speech by her husband, during a rare public appearance in Damascus on January 11, 2012. Al-Assad vowed to defeat a "conspiracy" against Syria, a day after he blamed foreign interests for stoking months of deadly violence. Hide Caption 30 of 31 Photos: Syria's first lady Syria's first lady – Asma al-Assad talks with families of the country's armed and security forces who were killed during the civil war in the capital. Her husband, Bashar al-Assad, set up a committee that will be in charge of taking care of all legal measures regarding families of Syrian troops killed in the fighting against rebels. According to a Syrian Presidency Facebook post on July 11, 2013. Hide Caption 31 of 31

President Obama calls it an "incapacity" on the part of the U.N., but there is no sign that the name-calling will change anything.

Option 5: Assembling a coalition without the U.N.

A week ago, newscasts were buzzing with speculation about a nascent coalition, perhaps born of NATO allies -- a daring group of nations ready to stand with the United States as it punished al-Assad.

Secretary of State John Kerry is ballyhooing support from the Arab League, Turkey, and France, saying "We are not alone in our will to do something."

One by one, however, names have slipped off of the list from this support group. And with the British Parliament now having rejected the idea of Britain's military getting involved, Obama is looking more and more like the lone commander charging the hill while his allies hunker down in the trenches.

Option 6: Firing missiles from warships in the Mediterranean

Yes, it is pretty much down to that now, and even that option is complicated.

Make no mistake: Cruise missiles are magnificent, virtually unstoppable weapons capable of pinpoint, devastating strikes. However, all the days of wrangling have given the Syrians an immense amount of time to hide their own weapons, secure their airplanes, and disperse critical command and control assets.

Should the Tomahawks start flying, they may well find themselves crashing down into an inordinate number of empty buildings, according to Gen. Marks -- or worse, into places packed with civilians.

What's more, Syria's allies such as Iran could respond to what would undoubtedly be called an act of war by stepping up aid to al-Assad, and he could emerge with a stronger military as a result.

At home the situation is not much better.

The White House has blitzed the airwaves and the Internet with official statements. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has declared the military ready to go. Secretary Kerry has described the lurid pictures of chemical attack victims, saying "All of them show and report victims with breathing difficulties, people twitching with spasms, coughing, rapid heartbeats, foaming at the mouth, unconsciousness, and death..."

President Obama himself sat down with PBS to explain the broader, regional implications of allowing Syria to use chemical weapons with impunity.

"This is a volatile country in a very volatile region. We've got allies bordering Syria. Turkey is a NATO ally, Jordan a close friend that we work with a lot. Israel is very close by. We've got bases throughout the region. We cannot see a breach of the nonproliferation norm that allows, potentially, chemical weapons to fall into the hands of all kinds of folks."

But none of it seems to have mattered much.

The president faces stiff opposition in Congress. Democrats, like Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger of Maryland, are saying that America "cannot be the lone sheriff of the whole world. The United States must be careful in how it proceeds and must act together with a coalition of countries."

Republicans, like Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, seem disturbed by the administration's lack of clarity on the mission and timetable. "The administration informed us that they have a 'broad range of options' for Syria," he says, "but failed to layout a single option."

As for the public, an NBC poll has found only half of Americans support any kind of military action against Syria, and 80% say it should happen only with congressional approval.

So we're back to where we started: The choices are dreadful and would be for any president, Democratic or Republican; the outcomes are wildly uncertain; and the consequences -- no matter which direction he turns -- are likely to be grave.

Against this backdrop of unspeakable acts and unfathomable causes and effects, perhaps it is small wonder that Obama keeps saying, "I have not made a final decision."

Although in the very act of doing that, he is committing to one choice not mentioned so far: Waiting.

Waiting to see if some new evidence, some new ally, some new intelligence clears the smoke over Syria and makes plain a way forward.