There is a joke in Damascus about a bus that carries passengers to distant parts of the country. In every town where the bus stops, the driver announces its name and opens the door to let passengers on or off. Between two villages, he stops and cries out: "Secret missile base." At that point, two soldiers disembark.

Public opinion in Syria, and in the Arab world in general, is demanding detailed explanations. It is hard to gauge Syrian public opinion from a distance, but the Internet exposes some of what Syrian citizens are feeling. "For 60 years, we have heard the slogan that a war will not be imposed on us at a time and place that is not suitable for us," an Arab Internet surfer wrote last week, echoing analysts' statements. On the web site of the official daily Al-Thawra, another wrote: "Would not the best timing and the most appropriate response be to shoot down one of the attacking aircraft?" Meanwhile, official Damascus is slowly preparing for a diplomatic offensive. Senior Syrian officials are counting their friends. The official Syrian news agency SANA is collating every condemnation: political parties from Yemen, individuals from Lebanon, the Arab League, some lukewarm statements from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. Yesterday, Libya joined in, with a Foreign Ministry source calling for a unified Arab stance - which seems to be more distant than ever. There is considerable frustration in Damascus that key Arab countries have not bothered to denounce Israel and express their support for Syria.