The concern over the increase in Jihadi fighters flowing into Syria from Europe via Turkey and the prospect of the eventual return of radicalised fighters are both helping to fuel a change of heart in the main Western governments backing the Syrian opposition. As we hear reports from Syria's deputy foreign minister -Faisal Mekdad that western intelligence officials have been in talks with representatives of the Assad regime – a strategy which we are told is blatantly at odds with host government's own policies, there has been a suggestion that this amounts to nothing short of a schism within the international strategic plan to resolving the crisis in the region. It is no secret that there is a growing concern about the internal conflicts within the ranks of the opposition movement along with a fear of a growing influence and apparent threat posed by Islamist groups within their ranks (some of whom are Al-Qaeda-affiliated). The Syrian official further claimed that ‘many Western governments now finally believe there to be no alternative to the leadership of President Assad.' The scheduled Geneva II talks are meant to take place on 22nd January and the leadership of the Syrian National Coalition despite threats of support withdrawal from its key Western backers like the US and the UK, are still refusing to commit to sitting around the table with their avowed enemies. The question of whether the language of western governments - which has maintained until now ‘that a future government of Syria with Assad at its helm is inconceivable' seems about to change. The implications of this will be paramount in the minds of those who have witnessed the brutality and slaughter of the Assad regime on the Syrian people over the last three years. The concern over the increase in Jihadi fighters flowing into Syria from Europe via Turkey and the prospect of the eventual return of radicalized fighters, is helping to fuel this change of heart. The Director of the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism at the UK Home Office – Charles Farr, recently stated that ‘The Syrian conflict has become a ‘profound game-changer' and poses the biggest terror threat to the UK and Europe for a decade'. While director of the US. government's National Counterterrorism Center, Matthew Olsen, said that the war in Syria is providing both a rallying point and a training ground for radical Islamists from other nations. About 600 fighters have gone to Syria from Europe, according to Gilles de Kerchove, the European Union's counter-terrorism coordinator. That number grows to the thousands if fighters from the Balkans and North Africa are counted, he said. This fear of radicalization extends to organizations involved in legitimate humanitarian relief operations in the region. In the last few days, reports have emerged of raids on the offices of some of the more prominent NGOs providing humanitarian assistance on Syria's borders. The offices of the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) - a prominent NGO operating on the border with Syria, have been raided this week by Turkish counter-terrorism police in what was described as ‘an operation in six cities against individuals suspected of having links to al-Qaeda'. A spokesperson for IHH maintains that the raid is a part of a ‘brutal propaganda campaign' and a ‘dirty plot' to prevent vital humanitarian relief from reaching the desperate and needy in Syria. IHH denies any links to Al Qaeda. According to Syria's National Reconciliation Minister - Ali Haidar ‘the so-called Geneva II peace talks will not solve the Syrian crisis. "Don't expect anything from Geneva II.' He said ‘Neither Geneva II, not Geneva III nor Geneva X will solve the Syrian crisis." It would seem that while the short term prospect of a solution to the Syrian crisis remains remote and as western governments wrestle with mechanisms to deal with the escalation of the terror implications on their own shores as a result of the fall-out, the humanitarian crisis in Syria is projected to worsen. Banki-Moon – the United Nations Secretary General has made an appeal for a record $6.5billion to assist the growing number of Syrian refugees whose circumstances are deteriorating day by day.
