The Arabist

The Arabist

By Issandr El Amrani and friends.

Sick: Why don't we know more about the Free Syrian Army?

Syria: The Untold Story?

Good questions from Gary Sick on the dearth of information about the FSA and how it has built up a fighting force.

... we are getting only the vaguest possible references to the description and sources of all that new weaponry, the training of FSA cadres, and how much it is costing to build a new army from scratch.

Since the folks doing it are generally friends, not enemies, and therefore much more accessible, wouldn’t you think that our enterprising media would be coming up with exclusive reports almost every day about how it is being done? Is this simply a tacit agreement to avoid embarrassing allied governments?

It seems to me that a curtain of silence has been drawn over this very important aspect of the Syria story. Am I missing something?