The White Helmets of Syria

1 minute read
Firefighters extinguish flames following an airstrike by forces loyal to the Syrian government in the rebel-held area of Douma, on the outskirts of Damascus, on Sept. 11, 2016.
Firefighters extinguish flames following an airstrike by forces loyal to the Syrian government in the rebel-held area of Douma, on the outskirts of Damascus, on Sept. 11, 2016.Mohammed Badra—EPA
By Jared Malsin

In Syria, it’s been all too easy to lose the plot. Things began simply enough, another promising bud in the Arab Spring–ordinary citizens marching peacefully against a Middle Eastern despot.

It was a heart-lifting display, maybe a bit tardy after the movements in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen and Libya, but you certainly knew whom to cheer for. The good guys were in plain sight, chanting “Freedom” and “Peace” from orderly rows. Until the government forces opened fire.

But as the crowds scattered for cover and, before long, took up arms themselves, what steadily enveloped the conflict was not so much the fog of war as its miasma. Opposition to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad shattered into more than 1,000 armed groups.

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