Cristina Casabón is co-founder of Baab Al Shams. She has a Masters in International Relations; her research was on Egypt's political transition. Follow her on: @casabonnline
While the French president has won public approval and international backing for the fight against IS, differences persist about the necessity of coordinating with Russia.
Assad is responsible for the damage being caused to Syria, but he is not the only one. Negotiators must reconsider their agreement over the fate of Syrian state institutions.
The political future of the region is unclear, because it depends on the evolution of different political systems. What degree of secularisation/Islamism will these societies allow?