What is common between these two?

First: the distinguished gentleman from Damascus, one Foreign Minister Walid Moallem:

There is no civil war in Syria, but it is a war against terror that recognizes no values, nor justice, nor equality, and disregards any rights or laws.

And second, Ethan Bueno de Mesquita, a professor at the Harris School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago.

We must learn to recognize when an uptick in violence is really a sign of resurgence and when it is a sign of a rebel group on its heels, fighting for survival. Terrorist attacks by groups like Al-Shabaab that used to control large amounts of territory are an instance of the latter phenomenon.

What, indeed, could be common between a fatso puppet of a Syrian two-bit dictator/mass murderer and a respected professor from Chicago? Choose one or more of the fitting answers:

1. Love of fast cars
2. Passion for violin quartets by Tchaikovsky
3. Spewing bullshit via MSM
4. Mastery of ping pong
5. Appearing on CNN
6. Being smiled upon benevolently by Osama Bin Laden from his place in martyr's paradise

No prizes for winners.