1- Create a situation where failure to act would be more costly to our strategic interests than supporting "friendly rebels"
2- Involve our "core interests," usually oil or strategic location
3- Prove inaction would be a stain on human consciousness, or have oil (or strategic interests)
4- Protect the people (human interest) or have $33 billion in frozen assets or strategic relevance.
5-Wait for us to form a broad coalition with at least one regional ally, or have oil (or strategic interests.)
6- Get your leader to refuse to stop killing rebels, or
have oil (or strategic interests)
7- Have a dictator who is isolated and without allies, preferably crazy.
8- Make sure to have no air defenses or an antiquated military
9- Have a city of 700,000 besieged, with water cut off, unless they are Palestinian.
10- Long to be free, see us as a North Star or Bright Light of Freedom or some other such catchy phrase
11- Admire King Obama and don't support Collective Bargaining and a Progressive Agenda.