Paul Lynd, center square of the Hollywood Squares, was once given this question: "There's something in the air in Hollywood that's causing a lot of problems right now. What is it?" To which Lynd snickered, "Faye Dunaway's legs!!!"

But seriously, folks, what happened in the air over Syria in early September?

We know quite a few things:

1) Russia had sold multiple supposed advanced and immune-to-jamming Pantsyr anti-aircraft missiles to Syria--but later denied selling them.

2) A North Korean ship landed a shipment of "cement" shortly before the Israeli-Syrian incident.

3) There is a gigantic secrecy umbrella over Israel, Syria, and Iran. Nobody's talking.

4) If North Korea did indeed supply nuclear material or finished weapons to Syria, this would put a crimp in the North Korean's recent economic deals based on their pretense of acquiescence to the 6-party negotiations about shutting down their nuclear facilities.

Suppositions would be:

1) If the Pantsyr system proved vulnerable to superior Israeli electronic countermeasures, Russia would be embarrassed, and Syria and Iran would be afraid that their claims of abilities to defend themselves would be shown hollow.

2) North Korea would want to hide its involvement.

3) If the rumors are true about an Israeli commando ground raid coinciding with the air support or attack, then it may be later revealed that nuclear material or weapons were indeed on the ground in Syria and the nuclear fingerprints could implicate North Korea as the source.

4) If Syria had nuclear weapons or material, what was the ultimate destination? Could Iran be failing in its enrichment attempts and counting on getting an outside source of nuclear weapons? Could Iran be manipulating Syria into doing its dirty work and blackmailing or actually bombing Israel? Could Iran be capable (or soon capable) of making nuclear weapons but also wishing to have a North Korean weapon with a foreign nuclear fingerprint to confuse the situation if Tel Aviv is nuked?

One thing we could conclude from all this known and unknown:

1) The world has been a much more dangerous place for the past 30 years than we had recognized. The invasion of Iraq may go down in history as a masterstroke which took on the enemy and caused them to reveal their real nature and capabilities.

When we know what was in the air--and on the ground--in Syria this month, we'll know the answers. And it will be much more consequential than Faye Dunaway's legs.