All articles - Syria

The Agencies' Gazette
New Iranian militia in Syria, Chinese retiree recall, Finnish border, Swedish NSA, ANSSI

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community. This week we hone in on Tehran and Zhengzhou, via Helsinki, Stockholm and Paris.

Iran/Syria IRGC mobilises new militia against US interests in Syria

China Retired military, state personnel hired to prevent iPhone production jam

Finland Border guards camp in the east

Sweden Bigger budget for interception agency FRA

France Senators move to make ANSSI more aggressive

The Agencies' Gazette
DGSE's green goals, cybersecurity between Sultans, Lithuanian sanctions, Syrian airspace jitters

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community from London to Paris via Nur-Sultan.

FranceDGSE goes green to justify pricey new head office.

Bahrain/OmanCybersecurity dominates cooperation talks between Manama and Mascat.

LithuaniaAnti-money laundering veteran takes helm of foreign ministry's 'sanctions' group.

Israel/SyriaTsahal seeks new targets from Syrian skies.

Turkish and Syrian spy chiefs Hakan Fidan and Ali Mamlouk talk again at Russia's initiative

Keen to play the role of mediator between Turkey and Syria, Russia sponsored a new meeting between the spy chiefs of the two countries, which have been at daggers drawn since 2011. The results were not convincing but the meeting at least allowed Ankara and Damascus to set out their demands.

Germany's Gauff Engineering plays key role in reconstruction of Syria's water infrastructure

The authorities in Damascus, who are continuing to look for international groups able to play a role in the country's reconstruction, are intensifying their efforts in this direction in cooperation with the UN and the Red Cross.

Syrian army and Syrian Democratic Forces join forces to face Erdogan's intervention threats

As the Turkish president continues to threaten a new intervention in Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces have finally opted to form an ad hoc alliance with the regime in Damascus, offering it a long hoped for opportunity to return to north-eastern Syria.

Amarante well placed for "failed states" Levant study contract

The international relations department of the French armed forces ministry, which likes to carry out long studies involving several outside contractors, has issued a tender call for a new study of three countries in the Levant region, which it describes without qualms as "failed states".

Aleppo transport magnate Fares al-Shihabi sees chance to shake up sector

With air traffic booming in Aleppo after airstrikes forced flights away from Damascus, the northwestern city's most prominent businessman Fares al-Shihabi is eyeing a broader boost for the region and for Syria's neglected rail sector.

French foreign ministry crisis centre spearheads repatriation operation

The French foreign ministry's crisis centre is at the forefront of French repatriation operations in northeastern Syria, alongside the DGSI, the French internal intelligence service.

Damascus' red tape tactics to keep watch on Syrians aboard

The Damascene authorities, now no longer concerned about maintaining their rule, has come up with a cunning way to keep a tally of Syrians living aboard, many of whom were once defectors or opponents. This administrative blackmail comes with exorbitant fees that can help fill the Assad regime's coffers.

Ba'ath Party lawyer fails to prosecute Qatar for financing Syrian opposition

Defending Christian Arabs, an association close to the Syrian and Iraqi Ba'ath communities, has not been able to prosecute the Emir of Qatar and former Qatari PM in London for allegedly financing the Syrian Free Army to destabilise Bashar Al Assad.

Magnate Amer Foz between rock and hard place in Brussels and Damascus

Like his brother Samer, Amer Foz recently failed to get his name taken off the EU's sanctions list, which will not help his business activities in Damascus, threatened by the economic situation.

Iranian Pasdaran's Syria plans jeopardised by threat of Turkish intervention

Tehran was counting on Russia's engagement in Ukraine to gain ground in Syria, but its plans have been thrown off course by Turkey's threat of further military engagement in Syria, which has also prevented Russia from withdrawing.

Oil firm Gulfsands sees new opportunities in updated US sanctions list

Washington's recent decision to exclude the oil sector from the foreign investments it is allowing once again in northeast Syria paves the way for the return to the area of juniors linked to the Syrian regime, such as UK oil firm Gulfsands Petroleum.

Russia threatens to end cooperation in Syria with Israel

Despite wanting to accommodate both the United States and Russia, Israel has provoked Vladimir Putin's ire by what Moscow sees as Tel Aviv's overly pro-Ukrainian stance. This has strained their relations to such an extent that Russia is questioning the highly sensitive matter of Israel's freedom of action in Syria.

Turkish and Syrian spymasters making furtive moves to prepare for future normalisation

Though far from singing the praises of Bashar Al Assad's regime, Ankara recognises that the regime's continued existence points to a need to restore dialogue between the two countries. Turkey's intelligence service, the MIT, is taking the first steps towards this.

Russia caught between Kurdish and Syrian forces in Syria

Moscow is having to mediate between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Assad regime, despite its priorities in Ukraine.