The New York Times only chose to run this as part of the left’s new pro-Iran and anti-Saudi tilt. And indeed, the Saudi execution of Jihadist pro-Iranian cleric Nimr repeatedly comes up in the piece. But it does contain some interesting information about the extent to which Obama had at one point allowed the Saudis to set the agenda. (Now he’s allowing Iran to set the agenda.)

When President Obama secretly authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to begin arming Syria’s embattled rebels in 2013, the spy agency knew it would have a willing partner to help pay for the covert operation. It was the same partner the C.I.A. has relied on for decades for money and discretion in far-off conflicts: the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Since then, the C.I.A. and its Saudi counterpart have maintained an unusual arrangement for the rebel-training mission, which the Americans have code-named Timber Sycamore. Under the deal, current and former administration officials said, the Saudis contribute both weapons and large sums of money, and the C.I.A takes the lead in training the rebels on AK-47 assault rifles and tank-destroying missiles.

Except that sometimes the CIA actually helps the Saudis obtain the weapons.

American officials have not disclosed the amount of the Saudi contribution, which is by far the largest from another nation to the program to arm the rebels against President Bashar al-Assad’s military. But estimates have put the total cost of the arming and training effort at several billion dollars.

More here.