Neil MacFarquhar in Moscow

Having covered the Arab world without knowing Arabic, Mr. MacFarquhar is now covering Russia without knowing Russian.  Look at this gem: "The forces of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria were reportedly so depleted by the end of the summer that Damascus sent a senior envoy to Moscow to warn that the government was weighing a retreat from the capital to the coastal heartland of the Alawite minority that constitutes much of the elite."  The source of this story is Arabic tabloids owned by Saudi princes. Kid you not.