There is a new expert on Syria at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy

"Jeffrey White, a defense analyst at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy who tracks videos and announcements from self-described rebel battalions".  So this guy, who is no expert on Syria, simply watches videos on Youtube and that qualified as an expert and the New York Times now treats him as an expert? Hell, all Arabs watch videos on Youtube, why can't they be cited in the Times?