An Arab source who was in Syria and who met with a top Syrian official told me this. Najib Miqati (the former Lebanese prime minister) was arranging for the sale of a French air defense system to Syria a few years ago, when Rafiq Hariri (who was then alive and skimming) informed Miqati that the Americans are not pleased with his role. Soon later the French-Syrian deal was cancelled. Now the Syrian army provides an air defense system made up of fire crackers.