Damascus says it had talks with western intelligence about Islamist rebels

A Syrian official was quoted yesterday as saying western intelligence agencies had sent representatives to the Damascus government to discuss the strength of multinational Islamists among rebels opposed to President Bashar al-Assad.

If confirmed, the assertion by the official, Faisal Mekdad, the deputy foreign minister, would mean that while western politicians have publicly called for the ousting of Mr Assad, their own intelligence subordinates were privately collaborating with his lieutenants.

In an interview with the BBC, Mr Mekdad was asked whether representatives of western intelligence agencies – including those of Britain – had recently travelled to Damascus. “I will not specify them, but many of them have visited Damascus, yes,” he replied.

'Schism'
"When these countries ask for security co-operation, then it seems to me there is a schism between the security and the political leadership," he said. "Many of these countries have contacted us to co-ordinate security measures."

Coming a week before planned international peace talks in Geneva on Syria’s future, the official’s assertion may have been meant to create an impression that western opposition to Mr Assad’s tenure is not as absolute as politicians have suggested.

Western concern has been growing over insurgency groups in Syria linked to al-Qaeda, which have attracted hundreds of European jihadists, offering them training in military tactics that could be used when they return to their own countries. The Wall Street Journal, which reported that European intelligence agencies had met secretly with Mr Assad's delegates to share information on European extremists operating in Syria, said the discussions had focused on at least 1,200 militants.

Travelling from Beirut
The Journal said a retired official from MI6, Britain's overseas intelligence agency, had been the first of the western spies to visit Damascus on behalf of the British government last summer. Intelligence officers from Germany, France and Spain had also been travelling from Beirut to Damascus since November, it said.

Meanwhile, the UN donors' conference in Kuwait ended with western and Gulf pledges of more than $2.4 billion (€1.8 billion) to help millions of needy Syrians. Only 70 per cent of $1.5 billion pledged at a similar event last year has materialised so far. – (New York Times)