Putin’s support to Assad assured that no peaceful transition was possible during the early days of protests against Assad’s tyranny. Gradually, Assad used terror tactics (sharp shooters shooting from roofs at peaceful demonstrators (like Putin’s picked president Viktor Yanukovych did in imitation in Kiev) to marginalize the mostly peaceful and democratic opposition. Putin and Assad pursued a scorched earth policy demonizing all who opposed them as al Qaeda (sounds familiar to Ukraine. 2% of the Ukrainians voted for the fascists, yet Putin’s propaganda wing still claims all of the Ukrainians opposed to Putin’s takeover are Nazis). Into the chaos of Assad and Putin’s special brew in Syria, the real Islamist demons, al Qaeda, stepped with the same uncompromising mindset. Despite Assad’s long history of supporting al Qaeda, especially when they were killing Americans in Iraq, al Qaeda turned on Assad. Assad’s lust for power for his own personal ends, like Putin’s own lust, could not do what was best for Syria and assure a smoothed transition away from socialist/monarchy. Putin made that intransigence possible and he too is a president for life type. Putin is never going to permit civil, democratic government because he’s opposed to that form of life. Both Putin and Assad prefer to fight al Qaeda than to support free people. I believe in fighting al Qaeda and supporting the rule of law, civil government, a free press, freedom of religion (not Putin-approved Ultra Orthodox priests being paid to puppet the Putin line), private ownership of property (not crony capitalism), and a freedom that allows multi-party democracy.
~Putin’s support to Assad assured that no peaceful transition was possible during the early days of protests against Assad’s tyranny.~
Peaceful transition to whom?