Internet access in and out of Syria has been blocked by the country's government.

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Kevin Martin, Assistant Professor in the Department Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at IU, says shutdowns of Internet service and cell phone service have happened in Syria even long before the Arab Spring. "In the past, this has been a tactic that the regime has used when they want to conceal what they're doing.  In other words, they're mounting some sort of operation and they want some sort of at least tactical surprise."  

Martin says during the conflict in Syria, there have been high-level defections from the Syrian military who may have had access to ground-to-air missles, something the rebels have acquired.  He says, however, it's not known yet if they acquired them through those defections.  

Martin says the conflict in Syria is complicated by a very troubled history of sectarian relations in Syria.  He adds Syria has been treated at times as a sort of plaything in regional power games in which its various neighbors have engaged for 60 years.