It's difficult to convey the absolute love and esteem the Syrian people have for their army, which is made up of, as BSNews co-ed Mike Raddie says, the sons, daughters, fathers, brothers and sisters of Syrian families. The Syrian Army IS the Syrian people! And so the very idea they would be 'killing their own people is utterly absurd! Last night we had dinner with friends who live in Damascus and they'd invited a young Syrian Army soldier friend to join us. He is only 22. It saddened me that he's spent his young life having to fight. And fight off an existential threat to his country.