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New Yorker Cover Compares Syria to 'Breaking Bad'

by Krystin Arneson

This week's New Yorker cover aptly illustrates the fact that the situation in Syria is increasingly becoming more and more like an episode of Breaking Bad.

Likely, the cover will draw some criticism for making light of the fact that Assad has potentially killed thousands of his own people.

Meanwhile in the non-satirical world, following the release of a list of its chemical weapons stockpiles Saturday, the Syrian government says it won't have "any problem" taking its visitors out to the sites. There's just a little catch: the visiting experts could also be taken out.

"Those gunmen might want to stop the experts' arrival," Syrian President Bashar Assad told Chinese state TV in an interview Monday. So, just so you know.

The cover and the interview come at a time when Syria is high on this week's UN General Assembly meetings to-be-sorted-out list.

In this week's New Yorker cover article, reporter George Packer outlines a possible route — ultimately a diplomatic one — President Obama might take. The president is expected to outline strategic solutions today at the UN conference, though we'll see how specific he gets.

As for which side will get to deliver Heisenberg's knock-out,"We're done when I say we're done," in this stand-off? Well, we're not exactly rooting for Heisenberg.

(Image: Barry Blitt, New Yorker)