Saddam and Assad were secular strongmen. They weren't nice people for sure, but they cracked down hard on religious extremism and terrorism.
But it seems that America would rather get rid of them, in favor of an alternative that is more palatable to them. I.e. Vast areas of the Middle East ruled a new country calling itself the Islamic State.
And now the Islamic State is doing the exact same thing the Americans accused their predecessors of doing: US official: 'IS making and using chemical weapons in Iraq and Syria' - BBC News
You might be right that Assad was anything but a kind politician, but there have been massive public gatherings of his supporters while the Syrian Civil War is in full swing, even in Western countries.
Ben Swann, an American investigative journalist made a video about Al-Nusra front and another dealing with Daesh:
I like him, for he clearly represents the true spirit of investigative journalism and reveals enlightening and sometimes shocking facts purposely not mentioned by Western MSM.