Ali Mamlouk

France, Syria
Pro-Damascus Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce makes Paris comeback

The Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce, the industrial and commercial arm of President Bashar Al Assad's regime, attended the recent Franco-Arab Chamber of Commerce summit in Paris, despite continuing French hostility to a rapprochement with Damascus.

Syria, United States
USSOCOM keeps troops on ground despite Syria-Turkey talks

After letting its focus on Syria slip, the United States is now having to sit by and watch as the Assad regime continues to engage with Turkey. If the two neighbours do restore ties, this could pull the US back into the regional troubles and call into question the presence of US troops in northeast Syria.

The Intelligence Gazette
Hossam Louka in Riyadh, State Department's generosity to Chisinau, France's Zahra center

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community from Riyadh to Washington, and Paris to Tehran.

Syria/Saudi ArabiaHossam Louka pops up in Riyadh.

United States/MoldovaChisinau biggest receiver of US fund to counter Russian influence.

France/IranFormer pro-Iranian Centre Zahra France official fails to block asset freeze.

Syria, Turkey
Taksim Square blast makes Ankara ill at ease with its private fighters in northern Syria

While it is still not clear who perpetrated the deadly attack in Istanbul on 13 November, a theory that Syrian fighters could be responsible has begun to surface in Ankara. This comes on the back of already growing disquiet between these fighters and their sponsor.

Iraq, Turkey
Hakan Fidan makes his moves on Iraq's complex political chessboard

The Turkish spymaster, tasked with meeting Iraqi politicians, now stands accused of interfering in the country's internal affairs. But this hasn't stopped him discreetly calling for the formation of a government that would guarantee Ankara's security and economic interests.

Palestine, Syria
Moscow and Tehran behind Syria-Hamas reconciliation

Damascus and Hamas officially buried the hatchet on 16 September, after a decade of dispute, in a deal brokered by Russia and Iran that gives the Palestinian faction the lead over Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah.

Syria, Turkey
Turkish and Syrian spy chiefs Hakan Fidan and Ali Mamlouk talk again at Russia's initiative

Keen to play the role of mediator between Turkey and Syria, Russia sponsored a new meeting between the spy chiefs of the two countries, which have been at daggers drawn since 2011. The results were not convincing but the meeting at least allowed Ankara and Damascus to set out their demands.

Syria
Iranian Pasdaran's Syria plans jeopardised by threat of Turkish intervention

Tehran was counting on Russia's engagement in Ukraine to gain ground in Syria, but its plans have been thrown off course by Turkey's threat of further military engagement in Syria, which has also prevented Russia from withdrawing.

Egypt, Turkey
Turkish and Egyptian spymasters eye deal on Muslim Brotherhood extradition

Ankara, bent on regional reconciliation, is hoping to finalise the normalisaion of its relations with Cairo. It is ready to concede on the issue of extraditing exiled Muslim Brotherhood members, a non-negotiable condition for Egypt.

Syria, Turkey
Turkish and Syrian spymasters making furtive moves to prepare for future normalisation

Though far from singing the praises of Bashar Al Assad's regime, Ankara recognises that the regime's continued existence points to a need to restore dialogue between the two countries. Turkey's intelligence service, the MIT, is taking the first steps towards this.

Iran, Lebanon, Syria
Between Beirut and Tehran, Ali Mamlouk gets back into regional affairs

Syrian spymaster Ali Mamlouk appears to be back in favour with President Bashar Al Assad, who recently sent him to Tehran to negotiate reducing the influence of Shi'ite militia groups under Iran's control. Mamlouk is also watching over the upcoming elections in Lebanon and giving a helping hand to pro-Syrians in the race.

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 to face Assad forces on the Iraq-Syria border

Despite pleas from the US to repoen the Til Koçer crossing between Iraq and Syria, the Kurdish authorities have decided to give its control to Syrian forces, a move that further weakens Washington's position in northeastern Syria.

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.