FILE - In this Sunday, March 4, 2012 file photo, Syrians hold posters of Syrian President Bashar Assad, far left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, second left, during a pro-Syrian goverment protest in front of the Russian Embassy in Damascus, Syria. In ramping up its military involvement in Syria's civil war, Russia appears to be betting that the West, horrified by Islamic State's atrocities, may be willing to tolerate Assad for a while, perhaps as part of a transition. (AP Photo/Muzaffar Salman, File)