Report: Assad regime sought Israel's cooperation

Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime has sought Israel's help in protecting the country's borders, Al Arabiya reported Thursday, citing confidential documents.

Al Arabiya claimed to have obtained the classified files from Syrian opposition members who refused to specify how they got hold of them. While the Qatar-based news network said it has vetted the documents, it remains unclear how credible they are.

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According to the report, Syrian Air Force Intelligence Chief Sakr Mennoun sent a memo to a colonel in the Syrian army, ordering him to head to the Syrian-Israeli borders and ensure their safety.

The cable, which was sent on April 3, 2011 – less than one month after the beginning of the uprising in Syria – requested the officer, Suheil Hassan, to secure the borders “in cooperation with the state of Israel.”

The report also said that one of the leaked documents in Al Arabiya's possession showed that the Syrian regime moved chemical weapon stockpiles with Iran's help and Russia's knowledge.

An earlier report in the series claimed Assad ordered the twin blasts that killed more than 50 people in Damascus with the purpose of convincing the international community that foreign terrorist forces were stirring conflict in his country. Another report, published last week, alleged that the Assad regime killed two Turkish pilots who survived a jet crash on Syrian territory. The jet was shot down by Syrian anti-aircraft missiles. Western sources denied this last report, saying the two died in the crash.

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