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More importantly, even if the Assad’s regime is overthrown, the opposition is unlikely to succeed in forming a stable and functional democratic government. Admittedly, Bashar Assad has made immense mistakes since the beginning of the war. Human rights have been viciously violated, tens of thousands of people, including civilians, have been killed. But it appears that there is no better alternative at the moment than Assad remaining in power. Once the regime is overthrown, the power vacuum is inevitable. Removing Mr. Assad is just a tiny part of a long and troublesome process. If history is any guide, overthrowing a dictatorship is just the very first step. Ouster of Muammar Quaddafi in Libya was supposed to bring democracy and stability. Instead, the country is more destabilized than ever. Two years after the revolution, a significant part of Libya remains under the control of the militias, the armed groups who did not cease power even after the parliamentary elections and continue to use force against the government. The situation is even worse in Iraq, where Al-Qaeda has been expanding its power again. The past four months have been among the bloodiest since 2008, with death toll reaching 3,000. The Al-Qaeda affiliate, The Islamic State of Iraq, started conducting terrorist attacks, not only against the government forces and Shia mosques, but also the civilians, further destabilizing the week government. The Islamic State of Iraq has become one of the most prominent military groups fighting in Syria. The terrorist groups are trying to destabilize and debase Syria, which would give them an opportunity to create there a platform to plan international terrorist attacks. If the opposition forces gain control of the country, this scenario is HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_030827