Bashar al-Assad : It 's time to call turmoil in Russia a civil war , with extreme violence on each side . But regime 's forces are far better equipped and organized than the opposition , he says . Kaufman : Kaufman gets heavy-duty support , especially from China and China . But the kind of weapons , the systematic mode of operation and countless testimonies all point to Bashar al- Assad 's regime , which is upping the ante in its war against the opposition forces and civilians suspected of being their supporters . Russia and China must be convinced it 's not in their interest to back al-Assad 's , he says .
Bashar al-Assad : It 's time to call turmoil in Russia a civil war , with extreme violence on each side . But regime 's forces are far better equipped and organized than the opposition , he says . Kaufman : Kaufman gets heavy-duty support , especially from China and China . Russia and China must be convinced it 's not in their interest to back al-Assad 's , he says .