Quote (Caedus @ Sep 24 2014 07:40am)

Yes. Syria is unequivocally a state in general, so they must be legitimate. We don't want to think simply because there are armed groups within a country that a country is not a state. The Syrian government is the recognized; globally, government of a territory and population known as "Syria", and they are the only group who can lawfully have formal relations with other nations. Statehood and legitimacy necessitate each other. 

Also, yes there is international law. It's not the same as domestic law, but it does exist.

Quote (bogie160 @ Sep 24 2014 01:22pm)

International law is just the play out of internationally agreed norms. Sovereignty is at a state level.

Quote (Skinned @ Sep 24 2014 03:52am)

False dichotomy tastes great!

This began by ordinary men and women leaving their homes and seeking self-determination.

There is no Syrian state currently, I'm sorry to break it to you, it has utterly failed and the every city in the nation is in ruins.  There is no social contract.  The Civil War has escalated so much that the entire society has broken down.  There is nowhere in Syria where you can live normally.

The only question is what comes next.  Any solution can't include Assad, or else it is just a continuance of the current situation, which he is primarily responsible for.