Assad (Briefly) Sees the Light of Day

While I search for a larger version of this photo from Syria’s news agency depicting al-Assad’s first foray “in public” since the country started simmering, I just have two questions:

1.) What do you think the ratio is here between security muscle, state media, hand picked loyalists and the random man-on-the-street?

2.) Do you think they used the photoshop?

(photo: Syrian Arab News Agency, AFP/Getty Images. caption: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (front-R) waving at supporters after addressing parliament in Damascus on March 30, 2011. Assad blamed conspirators for unrest sweeping Syria but failed to lift emergency rule or offer other concessions in his first speech since pro-reform protests erupted two weeks ago.)