A commonly held belief is that Syria, despite its claims to the contrary, is aiding the Iraqi insurgency by allowing safe passage for jihadists through its territory and across its borders. I’ve taken the idea to task before, so it’s not surprising that I disagree with such claims. A new Jamestown Foundation article, which utilizes a Syrian jihadist’s web posting complaining of tough conditions within Syria, also suggests that Bashar Assad’s regime is, in no way, actively or directly cooperating with Sunni extremists set on destabilizing Iraq. The jihadist even claims Syria is not “the safest route to Iraq.”
I cover the issue in much more detail here.