Choosing one's friends

Under the Assad régime thousands have been tortured to death, a hundred and ninety thousand have been killed by toxic gas and high explosives, and countless others have been maimed, while millions have escaped to neighbouring countries. Under the Baghdadi régime hundreds have been executed, some have been killed by high explosives and tens of thousands have escaped to neighbouring countries. Notwithstanding this gruesome arithmetic and because of a gory murder on video, Assad is being considered the lesser evil. 

Was it not in the US that a man of doubtful guilt was executed recently in a forty-five minutes long agony? He would surely have preferred to have his throat cut.