In the Shadow of the Krak des Chevaliers

 Patrick Cockburn, embedded with Assad's forces, gives the impression that there are roughly equal levels of sectarian atrocity on each side. Or worse on the rebel side, with supporters of the government those who voice concern at barbarism. It's just not true. The arbitrary killings by Assad's forces are a systematic war policy, those by the opposition isolated and condemned.
 "Syrian army officers said that these worsened recently when two Christians, a man and a women, had a late dinner at a hotel called the Alwadi and were stopped by armed men as they drove home. “As soon as they said they came from a nearby Christian village called Marmarita they were killed,” said an officer. In another sectarian killing a Muslim from al-Hosn village was reportedly killed by Christian militiamen."

 If the rebels are so shit, how come the government has only one military victory to speak of, that required thousands of Hezbollah soldiers to achieve. Compare these two quotes from Cockburn, and wonder if the Free Syrian Army are winners more than is often allowed.
 "The rebels are fragmented in organisation, lack heavy weapons and are too short of ammunition to launch big offensives."

 "Last June the government and its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, had one of its few clear cut victories when they captured the rebel town of al-Qusayr a few miles east of Tal-Kalakh."

 And the idea that the government is the one - we don't hear from the revolutionaries of course - that wants to stop destruction to Syria's heritage is a lie. "Bashar, or the country burns" has been their slogan all along, literally.