They also share an affinity for anti-Semitic rhetoric and conspiracies.

...is YOU. So who is the one conflating?

In my experience in the US, most liberals are critical of Israel but are not anti-Semitic. I'm one of them. I see the two conflated a lot. I'm glad you are not one of those who make that mistake.

and the Russian version of the what caused the civil war in Syria, and who has been attacking the Syrian populace repeatedly with chemical weapons. When the US attacked a hospital, we were rightfully outraged. Since then, the Syrians and the Russians have specifically targeted every hospital in every rebel-held area, and I haven't seen the outrage. The civil war started as a popular uprising against the arrest, detention, torture and disappearance of anyone who criticized the government, as well as military attacks on peaceful demonstrations against the government. The resistance eventually took up arms for their own protection, and to get rid of Assad. There was always concern that jihadists could hijack the rebellion, but Assad and the Russians parlayed that fear into the charge that every anti-government group must be composed of Islamic extremists and terrorists.

When you're such a harsh critic of U.S. policy there's a natural tendency to make underdog heroes out of the world leaders most opposed to it...

Which is why on numerous occasions a few years back I had high-profile big-name DUers trying to whitewash Gaddafi in their arguments to me...

I am always amazed when liberals fall for Russian propaganda. Defenders of Assad, of Gaddafi, the annexation of Crimea, and the invasion of Ukraine are confused.