Ex-Syria official tells of collusion between Assad, Russia, Daesh (1)

ANKARA, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 14: Mohamed Qassim, who formerly served as attorney-general in Syria’s central city of Tadmur, speaks to the journalists on Saturday about collusion -- which he says he witnessed first-hand -- between the Assad regime and its ally Russia and the Daesh militant group on February 14, 2016 in Ankara, Turkey. Qassim, who now supports the Syrian opposition forces battling the Assad regime, said the latter had paved the way for Daesh’s capture of the ancient city in mid-2015. "I was a witness to the relationship between the Syrian regime and Daesh," Qassim, who was appointed attorney-general of Tadmur in 2013, said. In his capacity as attorney-general, Qassim said he had been in contact with Syrian officers and officials in the city. "This gave me insight into the mutual cooperation and trade between Daesh and the regime," he said. The former attorney-general said he was once told by the city’s intelligence chief, Mazen Abdel-Latif, that regime agents had managed to infiltrate Daesh. "These agents are in contact with [the regime]; they are conveying information to us about the militant group," Qassim quoted Abdel-Latif as having said at one point. Citing the local intelligence chief, Qassim said that regime agents had also sought to carry out terrorist attacks inside Turkey. "[Abdel-Latif said] Turkey would pay a price for its intervention in Syria and would be hurt by terrorism and that Europe and France…would also pay dearly," Qassim said.(Footage by Fatih Basaran/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)