What a load of crap. North Africa and the Middle East. Of which Syria is a part, have been getting drier and turning to desert for over 2000 years now. North Africa used to be the breadbasket of Rome at the time of Christ 2000 years ago but now you cannot grow much more than an inbred, googley-eyed goat molesters there.
That is true. In Roman times they could cross the Sahara on horseback. 8,000 years ago it was swamp and jungle with hippos and such.
The area today is still capable of producing non-inbred goat molesters, but they just prefer not to.