Miqdad to BBC: Western Intelligence Officials visited Damascus for Fighting Extremist Groups

LONDON,(ST)_ Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister Dr. Faisal al-Miqdad said that, “officials in the Western intelligence agencies visited Damascus for consultations on the fight against Islamic extremist groups.”
In an interview with the BBC today al-Miqdad added that there was a dispute between Western security officials on the one hand and political leaders who often exaggerate their political demands.
 “Many Western governments have finally absorbed that there is no substitute for the leadership of President Bashar al-Assad.”Miqdad added.
Replying to a question on whether representatives of Western intelligence agencies, including the British intelligence had recently visited Damascus Miqdad said, “I will not go into details, but many of them have already visited Damascus.”

He added, commenting on what is said on that several Western countries had asked the Syrian government to return back its diplomats to Damascus “Yes, we have received requests from several countries, of course, some of them are waiting for the outcome of the Geneva conference 2, some say they are exploring the possibilities, while others say they want to cooperate with us on security matters because terrorists who were sent from Western Europe to Turkey and then to Syria became a source of threat to them. “

However, the British Foreign Office told the BBC that it refrains from commenting on intelligence matters, but senior BBC International correspondents “Alice Dusit “said that informed sources confirmed meetings between Syrian and Westerners intelligence officials, adding that the increasing numbers of Islamic “militants”coming from European countries means there are common fears that involve the Syrians with the West.

T. Fateh