Arab Cyber Activists

BEIRUT—In his March 30 speech in the Syrian capital of Damascus, President Bashar El-Assad blamed unrest in his country on a plot by foreign powers that he said began with incitement on the Internet, and specifically on the social-media site, Facebook.

Within seconds, Syrian users of social media, saying they were indeed plotting—but against Mr. Assad’s regime and not their nation— were sending hundreds of messages.