Why Do Some Leftists Support the Brutality of the Syrian Regime?

“The tyranny of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Hosni Mubarak, or other Arab regimes pales compared to the extreme brutality of Saddam Hussein’s and the Assad family’s regimes.

I hold no grudge against a leftist Tunisian, Moroccan, or Algerian unaware of the extent of Syria’s violence. However, I do reproach those who know but remain silent. My dear friend the social psychologist Azzam Amin, famously referred to this group as the ‘barrel bomb left’— those who support Assad’s use of barrel bombs on Syrian civilians.”