McClatchy DC has the story Syrian rebel group rejects talks with U.S..

Last week, Islamic Front units stormed the remaining military council bases, seizing equipment donated by the U.S. and forcing its leadership to flee to Turkey. Kerry had suggested that the equipment could be returned in exchange for direct talks with the U.S., an overture that Ford said was rebuked.

I am not sure that I was aware, before this article, of who exactly seized the U.S. equipment nor what that equipment was.

Two comments on the story were very critical of the Obama administration’s handling of events in Syria.

I withhold judgment on whether or not the criticism is completely warranted, until I hear a reasonable alternative to what the Obama administration did or didn’t do.  Don’t read my remarks as an endorsement of Obama.  I, for one, do not know that the right reaction on our part  to the rebellion would have been.

I have been a firm supporter of the idea that we did not need to go to war with Syria over the chemical weapons incident.  Beyond that, I have no idea as to what we should do in Syria.