Moscow – What’s in a hug?
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Syrian President Bashar Assad, arriving to the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday, warmly embraced his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, almost resting his head on the Russian president’s shoulder.
That photograph, distributed to the media by Moscow, tells the story in a nutshell of Russia’s two-year military campaign in Syria that has largely contributed to Assad’s survival in power.
There seems to be real gratitude in the moment.
Later, Assad thanked Putin and Russia’s top brass for their “sacrifices” and efforts made to “save our country.”
He may have well said thank you for saving me — or at least my job.
Without Russia’s support and heavy airpower, Assad would still be battling for political survival, or would have been possibly deposed.
When Assad last visited Russia in October 2015, some observers remarked that Putin appeared cold to the Syrian leader. It was early in the Russian military campaign, only one month in.
Many among Assad’s opposition will say the Russian intervention preserved Assad’s rule in Syria while thousands more were killed and tens of thousands more displaced in the civil war, now in its seventh year.
Some also claim that the Russian involvement may have helped put any Assad accountability for human rights abuses out of reach.
It was a huge gamble by Putin, but one that appears to have paid off, at least for the two of them.
Moscow has a seemingly irreversible footprint in the Middle East again, and Assad appears to have survived the war.
I suspect that this is the beginning of the end for Assad,
everything Putin does is correct, unlike the war monger Bush he isn’t starting a billion dollar war that is enabling an enemy of his country (Iran), he is helping a friend of his country that same Iran. If only the last few American presidents had the brains of this man, America would be great.
Hopefully one day people will realize that in the Middle East there are only two choices that are either bad or very bad . The usa since bush believed that democracy can flourish in the Middle East . However it failed miserably in Iraq Lybia Egypt Yemen etc …
NOw in Syria the option of moderate rebels able to govern was utter stupidity And naive . We only had two options , either isis and al nusra or Assad . Which one would you all prefer? Don’t forget Assad is the weak enemy that Israel can control with a few air strikes and no retaliation. Now which enemy would you all prefer ?
Putin was correct in restoring old world order
In April ’17 TRump attacked and bombed Assad’s army.
Now Assad is hugging his biggest supporter, Putin.
To misquote a saying:
A friend of my enemy is my enemy.