DAY 329 - FEBRUARY 12, 2012

A major general in the Syrian army, Mustafa Ahmed Al Sheikh, defects to join the rebel cause, thereby bolstering FSA confidence. He says 20,000 soldiers from Assad's military, mostly Sunni Muslims, have defected to the opposition. Russian and China again veto a UN-backed plan for peace resolution, roadblocking all Western intervention possibilities. Anticipating an increase in violence, the United States and United Kingdom pull out their remaining diplomats in Syria, suspending diplomatic relations. Al Qaeda number one, Ayman Al Zawahiri, calls for all muslims to help overthrow Syrian president Bashar Al Assad. In a related event, two suicide car bombs hit a military complex in Aleppo killing 28 people. Jabhat Al Nusra, a shadowy, Al Qaeda-supported, rebel faction claims responsibility.

It is your 18th birthday. You try to contact your family but, despite your best efforts to prove you are a good Muslim, there is still no response. Jabhat Al Nusra has publicly declared themselves as a group fighting the regime of Bashar Al Assad in Syria. Your work for Al Nusra Front has been rewarded kindly and you have been given more responsibility. An Al Qaeda commander named Sheikh Yousef has noticed your shrewd computer skills and has asked you to work on the latest issue of Inspire Magazine, which helps promote Salafism and anti-Western ideology. More and More you are beginning to hate the West for reasons you don't understand. Khalil moves out after he notices your gradual radicalization and, although you have reclaimed control of your internet accounts, the Syrian Electronic Army continues to send you booby-trapped links and backdoored emails. You continue to plot small counter-attacks against the pro-Assad hackers, but none provide fruitful. As the violence begins to spread in Aleppo, your hometown, you are beginning to crave true human connection again. With your family and Khalil seemingly out of the picture for good, you flirt with the idea of taking up a more physical role with Al Nusra. Perhaps it is time to fully commit yourself.