This is funny: when the Saudi minister and the "expert" say exactly the same thing at the same conference

"But Mr. Jubeir also said the United States needed to widen its goal from simply countering the Islamic State to targeting Mr. Assad, as well. “Any attempts to go after Daesh in Syria without dealing with the root cause, which is Bashar al-Assad, are doomed to failure,” he said.  Saying Mr. Assad had become a magnet for extremists, Mr. Jubeir added, “Ultimately, Daesh will be defeated when Assad is removed.”  Emile Hokayem, a Middle East analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, which organized the security conference, said the latest American effort came up short. “It’s part of the administration’s gradual but still hesitant approach to the bigger issue,” he said. “Assad is still the main cause of the death and destruction in Syria.”""