The original seeds for the Syrian/Assad collapse was described by Seymour Hersh in the New Yorker in 2007, called The Redirection, as Cheney/Bush, Prince Bandar Bush and the neo-cons realized they were losing the Middle East and creating a Shiite 'crescent of power' from Iran to Lebanon:

“The Saudis are driven by their fear that Iran could tilt the balance of power not only in the region but within their own country. The Saudis have considerable financial means, and have deep relations with the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafis”—Sunni extremists who view Shiites as apostates. “The last time Iran was a threat, the Saudis were able to mobilize the worst kinds of Islamic radicals. Once you get them out of the box, you can’t put them back.” ...There is evidence that the Administration’s redirection strategy has already benefited the Brotherhood. The Syrian National Salvation Front is a coalition of opposition groups whose principal members are a faction led by Abdul Halim Khaddam, a former Syrian Vice-President who defected in 2005, and the Brotherhood. A former high-ranking C.I.A. officer told me, “The Americans have provided both political and financial support. The Saudis are taking the lead with financial support, but there is American involvement.” He said that Khaddam, who now lives in Paris, was getting money from Saudi Arabia, with the knowledge of the White House...