Syrian Rebel Raids Expose Secrets Of Once-Feared Military -- The Guardian
Former regime strongholds are now being picked clean – and some are underwhelmed by what lies behind the perimeter walls.
The red phone had been silent for more than 20 years, encased in reinforced glass in the corner of the major's office. When it rang just after midnight on 6 September 2007, the startled Syrian officers nearby had to remind themselves what to do.
"I told my colleagues that we had to break the case with a hammer, then answer it," said Abu Mohammed, a former air force major then based at an air defence station near the north-eastern city of Deir Azzor. "It had not even rung during a training exercise."
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My Comment: Bottom line .... if the rebels are able to knock out Syria's air force, this civil war will probably end sooner rather than later.