Spotlight | France, Syria
Syrian Kurds look to Macron for support as Russia steps up pressure

The Agencies' Gazette
Syrian Kurds at French National Assembly, Kyrgyz diplomacy, Ukrainian BEB, US farm security

Appointments, reforms and key issues: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community.

France/SyriaYPG representatives at the French National Assembly

UkraineEconomic security office headless

KyrgyzstanEx-spymaster on the rise in diplomatic corps

USFood security as well as agricultural sovereignty

France, Syria, Turkey
Between asset freezes and support, Paris displays contradictory stance over Kurds

Recent French sanctions against individuals suspected of financing the Kurdish Workers Party, or PKK, highlight incoherent foreign policy towards the Kurdish movement.

France, Syria
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.

Syria, United Kingdom, United States
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, Syria
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.

France, Syria
Syria creeps into France's presidential election campaign

French presidential candidates will not be able to avoid talking about Syria, whether on issues relating to French special forces, repatriating French nationals in prison or the threat still posed by Islamic State. With just two months to go to the first voting round, Intelligence Online looks at their positions.

Syria, United States
USSOCOM accepts to put boots on ground in northeast Syria

Following the Islamic State's unprecedented strike near Hasakah, US and British special forces have agreed to send troops to help the Syrian Democratic Forces, whose counter-espionage weak spots were exposed by the attack.

Spotlight | Syria
Spymaster Ali Mamlouk has slipped from public view

Syria's spymaster in chief during the civil war, Ali Mamlouk, has been active in all the country's intelligence campaigns since 2012, both internal and external. Although no official announcement has been made and there has been no major incident, he looks to have been sidelined in favour of rising star Hussam Luka.

Turkey
Raft of generals resign from Turkish army over Erdogan's Syrian policy

Five years in Syria have pushed Turkey's troops to the limit. Exhaustion and increasingly dangerous conditions in Idlib have gnawed away at their operational capacities to such an extent that five generals have resigned in what is a veiled sign to Erdogan to reconsider Turkey's Syrian policy.

United States
Risk management firm Valens Global hand-in-hand with neocon think tank FDD

Counterterrorism consulting firm Valens Global recently appointed two former analysts from the neoconservative think thank Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), for which the company's founder and CEO also used to work.

Egypt, Iran, Iraq
Egyptian spymaster Abbas Kamel discusses Egypt-Iraq rapprochement with Tehran

Even as Cairo and Baghdad publicise their strategic partnership, Egyptian intelligence services are talking with Tehran behind the scenes on how best to protect Egyptian interests in Iraq.

Egypt, France
Marc Baréty appointed French ambassador in Cairo

The former French ambassador in Baghdad and current Islamabad ambassador Marc Baréty has landed the coveted top slot at the Egyptian embassy, where he will work to cultivate Franco-Egyptian defence and security cooperation.

France, Syria
Elysee Palace keeps tight hold on ties with Syrian Kurds

A French parliamentary delegation that was supposed to enter Northeastern [...]

Syria
Syrian Air Force intelligence service cracks down in North-East

Impatient to take back control of north-eastern Syria, the Syrian regime is trying to gain ground from the enclaves of Qamishli and Al Hasakah with the help of its air force intelligence service.

Syria
Damascus steps up moves to reconquer north-eastern Syria

Between Turkish territorial ambitions and the US military and economic backed Kurdish control of the area, Bashar Al Assad is struggling to retake northern Syria.