Because I was in the United States reporting this story, I needed to make sure Big Al was indeed in Syria and who he claimed to be. Because photos can be photoshopped and videos less so, I got Big Al to videotape himself in a Syrian street that my international colleagues could recognize. He held the daily newspaper so I could see the date and then match the newspaper date with the weather on that day in his city. My colleagues, who knew Syrian dialect and accent, spoke with Big Al to confirm his legitimacy. I knew Big Al’s real name, which checked out with his photo, but I did not publish the name because doing so put him at great risk. I was sensitive to other risks involved in our vetting process, so I made sure he was cooperating at a time of day when it was safest for Big Al to venture outside his apartment.