There is a theory that the West not supplying weapons has radicalised the conflict.
For two years the FSA has been starved of everything they need. Meanwhile the extremist nutters of al-Nusra have been amply supplied by Saudi Arabia & the Gulf States. So very many troops on the ground switched from FSA to al-Nusra.
What is for sure is that the biggest problem for the West coming out of Syria has been the huge growth in al-Nusra. Their being equipped with modern weapons and receiving lots of training and military experience. And their further radicalisation of large numbers of young men from all over the world, including from the UK. Syria is now a breeding ground for the very worst kind of islamic terrorist nutter. Once the Syria conflict is over they will turn their resources against the West.
Hopefully Mr Jones from Hereford will prevent the British ones from returning home.