Far from Syria's bloody civil conflict, a Toronto-area IT specialist works in his home basement, where he strategizes with the Free Syrian Army in its mission to topple the regime.

CBC's Adrienne Arsenault meets Louay Sakka, one of the co-founders of the Syrian Support Group. Sakka lives in Oakville, Ont., and is among dozens of members, most of them based in the U.S., helping the rebels by providing everything from real-time satellite imagery analysis to communications equipment.

Though Sakka acknowledged reports that jihadis and some extremist groups have been infiltrating the 60,000-strong Free Syrian Army, he maintains that in the absence of Western boots on the ground in Syria, the tactical support his group provides is the best chance of making sure donations for the rebels are going to the right people.