Officials said that in the same conversation, which included Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, Mr. Obama indicated that a covert effort by the United States to arm and train Syrian rebels was beginning to yield results: the first 50-man cell of fighters, who have been trained by the C.I.A., was beginning to sneak into Syria.

“Beginning to sneak”? What the fuck does that mean? And how has this covert war affected Assad’s calculation with respect to WMDs? We don’t know – which, of course, is the point of covert wars. But we absolutely have a right to know. Until the Obama administration tells us about the war it is currently waging in Syria, we should refuse any further authorization for them to expand it.