Has Assad infiltrated rebel forces inside Syria?

T H U R S D AY 24 APRIL 2014 Hundreds of foreigners could unknowingly e fig!"ing for Presiden" Ass#d following re$or"s of # de#l s"ruck e"ween "!e regi%e #nd e&"re%is" grou$ Isis

I" is e'ery (id#!is")s wors" nig!"%#re* "!e $ros$ec" of fig!"ing #g#ins" "!e Ass#d regi%e in Syri#+ only "o disco'er "!#" you !#'e done $recisely w!#" "!e Syri#n $residen" w#n"s, Hundreds of foreign fig!"ers #re f#lling $rey "o # sus$ec"ed $#c" e"ween President Assad and the extremist group the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham -Isis., /n "!e surf#ce+ "!e "wo $#r"ies #re i""er ene%ies, /n "!e one !#nd+ Isis+ # for%er #ffili#"e of #l01#ed#+ w!ic! w#n"s "o cre#"e #n Isl#%ic s"#"e w!ic! disreg#rds "!e order of Ir#2 #nd Syri# #like, /n "!e o"!er+ Presiden" Ass#d 0 # le#der w!o "ries "o 3us"ify w#r #g#ins" !is own

$eo$le y ci"ing "!e d#nger $osed y Isis #nd o"!er e&"re%is" grou$s, Ye" could o"! now re#lly e in so%e sor" of un!oly #lli#nce4 Yes+ s#ys "!e 5es"ern0 #cked Syri#n 6#"ion#l 7o#li"ion+ w!ic! cl#i%s Isis #nd regi%e forces !#'e eco%e 8in"i%#"ely in"er"wined8, A recently released memo sugges"s "!#" w!ile "!e "wo sides differ in %o"i'es+ "!ey #re ound y # co%%on go#l* 8"o des"roy %oder#"e o$$osi"ion forces #nd es"# lis! con"rol of #s %uc! of Syri# #s $ossi le,8 A 9#us"i#n $#c" I" ci"es e'idence fro% #cross "!e coun"ry+ including regions suc! #s R#22#+ (#r# lus #nd Al0D#nn#+ "!#" Isis !e#d2u#r"ers esc#$ed unsc#"!ed in "!e %ids" of !e#'y s!elling fro% Ass#d)s forces, In re"urn for "!is f#'our+ "!e %e%o sugges"s "!#" Isis 0 w!ic! #lre#dy con"rols %uc! of nor"! e#s"ern Syri# 0 !#s c!osen no" "o #""e%$" "o "#ke #re#s suc! #s Dier :;;or+ Ale$$o 7i"y or (isr Al S!ug!our+ w!ic! #re under "!e con"rol of "!e regi%e, T!ere #re #lso reports of trade deals on oil and gas struck e"ween Isis #nd "!e Syri#n go'ern%en", )5orking !#nd in glo'e) D#'id <u""er+ # le#ding e&$er" on Syri# #nd #n #ssoci#"e fellow #" "!ink0"#nk 7!#"!#% House+ "oldChannel 4 News "!#" "!e links e"ween Isis #nd Syri#n in"elligence d#"e #ck "o "!e #f"er%#"! of "!eIraq war of !!", 8T!e le#ders Isis !#'e #lre#dy worked !#nd in glo'e wi"! Syri#n in"elligence+ w!e"!er su$$lying "!e% wi"! we#$ons or su$$lying %oney flowing fro% "!eir r#cke"eering #c"i'i"ies #round =osul,8 He #dded* 8In"elligence officers will !#'e #l%os" cer"#inly forged links during "!#" "i%e #nd "!ere !#s #l%os" cer"#inly een so%e degree of regi%e %#ni$ul#"ion, To w!#" e&"en" one is #c"u#lly con"rolling "!e o"!er is %ore difficul",8

And "!e U> go'ern%en" is cer"#inly no" ruling ou" # $#r"ners!i$+ ei"!er, A s$okeswo%#n for "!e 9oreign /ffice "old Channel 4 News "!#" w!ile i" could no" 'erify "!e cl#i% direc"ly+ "!ere w#s 8#necdo"#l e'idence "!#" #dds u$8, 8Ass#d !#s # long !is"ory of su$$or"ing "erroris" grou$s #nd #c"i'i"y in "!e region, T!ere !#'e een $ic"ures of Isis fl#gs on uildings "!#" !#'e esc#$ed s!elling #nd re$or"s of su$$osed collusion on oil #nd g#s de#ls, I" is no" defini"i'e 0 u" cer"#inly lends credi ili"y "o "!e sugges"ion,8 Des"in#"ion unknown <u" could "!ere e #n e'en d#rker %o"i'#"ion "o "!e #lli#nce4 I" w#s re$or"ed "!is week "!#" Isis is funneling foreign #olunteers from Syria through $urkey and into Iraq, I" is # %o'e #i%ed #" ringing "!e Ir#2 "o "!e rink of ci'il w#r, T!is r#ises "!e e'en %ore !e#r" re#king $ossi ili"y of foreigners in Syri# elie'ing "!ey #re "!ere "o o'er"!row Ass#d+ only "o find "!e%sel'es e% roiled in so%e"!ing f#r d#rker, <ri"is! securi"y ser'ices #re incre#singly des$er#"e "o find w#ys of dissu#ding # w#'e of <ri"ons fro% going "o fig!" in Syri#, 8?o "o Syri# #nd end u$ !el$ing Ass#d+8 could e "!eir %os" $owerful %ess#ge,