Syria’s embattled president already has a Facebook page, a Twitter account and a YouTube channel.
Now Bashar al-Assad is turning to the photo-sharing service Instagram in the latest attempt at improving his image as his country burns, posting pictures of himself and his wife surrounded by idolizing crowds.
The photos show a smiling Assad among supporters, or grimly visiting wounded Syrians in the hospital. He is seen in his office in Damascus, with an Apple computer and an iPad on his desk. His wife, Asma, features heavily in the photos, casually dressed and surrounded by Syrian children and their mothers.
The sophisticated p.r. campaign is striking for an isolated leader who has earned near-pariah status for his military’s bloody crackdown on dissent.
It is also in stark contrast to the machinations of other dictators at the center of Arab Spring revolts.
While the ousted Egyptian and Libyan leaders relied on antiquated methods such as state-run media to transmit stilted propaganda, Assad — a 47-year-old British-trained eye doctor — has increasingly relied on social media.
“These are all dismal and useless attempts at polishing up his image,” said a Syrian activist named Mamdouh.