This One Photo Tells You All You Need To Know About Syria

Thank you to my beautiful, brave, big-hearted, wise, and deeply caring friend Julie Zenterra for this one. I am also moved to share Julie's words, which nails it and touches my heart. Tears. We must wake up and stop the madness. Another world is possible. And it's up to us. ― Molly

To quote Julie:
In the Arms of a Butcher
As a photographer, I always notice and appreciate when I find an image that succinctly conveys more than words can hope to express. Just such an image is this photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin embracing Bashar al Assad of Syria, whose long, savage destruction of his own people is made possible by direct, large scale Russian military assistance. Two despots, aiding and abetting the massacre of innocents in deadly and shameful embrace.
In the US, there are allegations of collusion between members of the 2016 Republican presidential campaign and Russia, extending to contacts with the Russian government at its highest level. Special Counsel Robert Mueller will determine the validity of these allegations and pursue legal remedies where laws were violated. Mueller continues to build his case but nothing has yet been proven.
IF collusion between the current US President and his campaign and Russia IS proven, it's this image of Assad and Putin I hope people will remember, so that they will understand the nature of the despot whose embrace was being sought. US Attorney General Jeff Sessions can joke if he likes about whether there are "any Russians in the room" but I cannot imagine anything more serious or more dangerous for a country than being sold into the arms of a butcher like Vladimir Putin. Just ask the people of Syria.

Vladimir Putin embraces Bashar al-Assad during a meeting in Sochi, Russia

Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad, the Black Sea and a balcony corner of the Bocharov Ruchey State residence in Sochi, a favorite of the Kremlin head. You can also see one of Putin's many luxury watches peeking out from under his shirt, this one perhaps a Blancpain $10,000 piece, one that is often spotted on his wrist, according to activists.

Yet the context is as important as the timing. On Wednesday Putin is due to welcome Iran's Hassan Rouhani and Turkey Recip Tayyip Erdogan -- a noticeably small list of guests that leaves out the US and Europe -- to the same Black Sea resort to discuss a political settlement in Syria.

Here, on Monday, he met with Syria's Assad -- a man widely recognized as behind the deaths of thousands of his own citizens, but now, even after five years of savage sectarian warfare, the victor without many spoils.

Monday's meeting was presumably to explain to Assad what a Russian-brokered political settlement in Syria would look like, and perhaps for Moscow to hear input from Damascus before the real power brokers in this proxy war meet Wednesday to forge a deal.

Still, the dynamics of the hug are clear. Putin looks like 17 years in power have taken their toll, but he is grinning, and not "mired in the quagmire of Syria" as his detractors warned he would be when he entered the war in 2015. It should be captioned as though the war is over, even though days earlier there were reports of phosphorus being used on rebel-aligned civilians in the Damascus suburbs. You can't see Assad's face in this photograph, but this is the second time we are aware of that he has left Syria at all since the conflict began in 2011, so you can presume he's pleased about that, at least.

For the original and for more, please go here: http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/21/middleeast/putin-assad-photograph/index.html