Proxy war in Syria is part shadow boxing

 Alex Callinicos would appear not to know what he wants to say about Syria:

 "But there is a definite danger that geopolitics will overwhelm the revolution in Syria. This doesn’t mean that there is a serious prospect of a direct confrontation between Britain and France and Russia over Syria."

 I think he finally explains in what way he thinks geopolitics will overwhelm the revolution in the last line, but it is a throwaway comment rather than analysis.

 "But the proxy war that outside powers are trying to wage in Syria may precipitate a widening sectarian implosion."

 There are really boxes of weaponry arriving in Syria from Russia, the revolutionaries are much poorer armed. The West is vacillating, but he ought to be saying that they should be providing arms to the rebels, rather than vaguely saying that everything that is real is wrong.