very interesting reading:

"...it was a military to military thing, and not some sort of a sinister Joint Chiefs’ plot to go around Obama and support Assad. It was a lot cleverer than that. If Assad remains in power, it will not be because we did it. It’s because he was smart enough to use the intelligence and sound tactical advice we provided to others.' "

https://www.lrb.co.uk/v38/n01/seymour-m-hersh/military-to-military