"Yet even the Syrian government has disappointed Mr. Putin recently, with its officials acting belligerent and unaccommodating at peace talks in Switzerland, against a surprisingly unified and professional performance by rebel opposition groups." The funny thing is that even in Saudi and Qatari propaganda outlets in Arabic, those claims about the brilliant performance of the Syrian opposition in Geneva are not being made. I guess you have to not know Arabic and not to have watched the press conferences to believe those ridiculous claims. And who were the rebel groups represented in Geneval aside from the gang of Dr. Engineer General Musician Plumber Painter Lawyer Dentist Salim Idriss?