There has been a humanitarian crisis in Syria for over a year now and nothing practical has been done to stop it escalating to where it is now at.
The Syrian people themselves have said "THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD HAVE ABANDONED US. NOW WE JUST ASK GOD FOR HELP". Inaction on the part of the UN (who, despite the vicious intervention by Russia and China, could have done far more than they have) and the cynical decision by the US and Britain not to become practically involved because of (in their own words) the possible alternatives to Assad, has done much to drive the people of Syria into the arms of the extremists.
None of this would have happened if the west's oil supplies had been in any way threatened.
Not only have the people of Syria been subjected to wholesale slaughter, but the credibility of the UN has been damaged, hopefully, not beyond repair.
This started as a protest against the lack of democracy in a viciously repressive feudal country, if it has escalated into something else; the blame lies to a large extent way beyond the borders of Syria.
Jim Carroll