Two top U.S. officials have now openly hinted at negotiating with the Assad regime to end the Syrian conflict and eliminate the ISIS threat. The American proposal to negotiate with Bashar Assad, after he has been declared to have lost all legitimacy and accused of war crimes, will have consequences for the future of the Syrian war and the region. It will also have serious repercussions for regional balance of power in the Middle East. But it remains highly questionable that negotiating with Assad will end the war in Syria and bring an end to the ISIS terror.First, John Brennan, the director of the CIA, said that "none of us, Russia, the United States, coalition, and regional states, wants to see a collapse of the government and political institutions in Damascus." This was followed by the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's comment that the U.S. will have to negotiate with Assad. It is not clear at this point how this argument will evolve or whether it will be revised and reinterpreted in the coming days. But at its face value, it expresses a desire on the part of the U.S. administration to work with the Assad regime to contain the ISIS threat. But there are serious lacunas in this argument.First of all, Brennan's statement that the Assad regime should not be allowed to fall is contradictory in that the Assad regime has already lost the form and function of an effective and responsible government. It has lost control over half of Syrian territories. The north and east of the country is divided among the Free Syrian Army, Kurds and ISIS. There is no security structure to establish order and protect civilians. Whatever is left of the Syrian army is engaged in killing tens of people every day. As things stand today, there is no Syrian regime without the support of Russia, Iran, Hizbullah, Shabbihah and other militia groups.Secondly, Kerrytarget="_blank"'>It is no secret that the U.S. administration does not want any upsets while seeking to conclude the nuclear deal with Iran. But the price for this should not be rewarding such a murderer as Assad. Doing so would create an extremely dangerous regional environment in which there will be no hope for peace and security.