John Kerry actually said...

"It would, for instance, be a great mistake to allow the emerging leadership of Syria to conclude that al-Qaeda had done more to help them prevail than did the United States."

"things are likely to get a lot worse before they get any better, and the human suffering, therefore, is likely only to increase, perhaps dramatically."

"If they are worried, as I think they are, about chaos on their southern borders, the rise of Islamic extremists that can have an influence on their own Muslim populations, then sticking with Assad is ..."

"It is an urgent priority to make the Alawite community in particular feel that there is an alternative to the scenario that seems most likely to unfold if we do not find a way to stop the descent into..."