(Damascus) The British news agency 'Sky News' has revealed that Islamic State and the Assad regime in Syria have been
colluding with each other in deals on the battleground. Their investigation into leaked secret IS files suggests
one piece of co-operation was over the ancient city of Palmyra. The files also
show that the militant group has been training foreign fighters to attack
Western targets for much longer than security services had suspected.
The revelations underscore fears in the United States that a
network of sleeper cells is spread across Europe, avoiding detection, and is
planning further Paris- and Brussels-style assaults. IS defectors, meanwhile,
have reported that Palmyra was handed back to government forces by Islamic
State as part of a series of cooperation agreements going back years.
The files reveal:
:: An agreement with the Syrian regime to withdraw IS
weapons from Palmyra.
:: A deal between IS and Syria to trade oil for fertiliser .
:: Arrangements to evacuate some areas by Islamic State
forces BEFORE the Syrian army attacked.
All appear to be pre-agreed deals and suggest direct
evidence of collusion between the Syrian regime and Islamic State chiefs.
