巨大的讽刺是，普京今天在乌克兰所做的正是巴沙尔成功地做过的：将合法政治反对派描绘成暴徒和恐怖分子，依靠挑衅和谎言将非暴力示威转变为暴力袭击，以此为借口采取武装干预。
The great irony is that Putin is now seeking to do in Ukraine exactly what Assad has done so successfully: portray a legitimate political opposition as a gang of thugs and terrorists, while relying on provocations and lies to turn non-violent protest into violent attacks that then justify an armed response.