Is Assad winning over the West? A retired M16 officer led a group of European intelligence officials to Damascus in an effort to engage the Bashar al-Assad regime, despite the West’s official refusal to directly communicate with it. The group allegedly met with President Assad’s security adviser, a sign that the West may start grudgingly accepting the Asaad regime. The US did not attend, and it is not clear which countries were part of the visit. Syria’s deputy foreign minister Faisal al-Mokdad said, “I will not specify but many of them have visited Damascus, yes.”
