Many opponents of the Syrian government, mainly western and Arab mass media and politicians frequently claim that the „Islamic State“ (IS; formerly ISIS or ISIL) is in fact a creation of the Syrian intelligence services.
Hence, the Syrian government established IS to destroy the „Syrian revolution“, both the latters „reputation“ and its fighters. This was allegedly achieved by releasing Syrian Islamists from prison who later joined IS.
The entire claim is as much hollow and baseless as it is ridiculous for a variety of reasons:
1. It is not that IS is the only sectarian and radical Islamist militia of the Syrian war:
https://radioyaran.com/2014/09/11/the-vetted-moderate-rebels-of-the-free-syrian-army-who-and-where-are-they/
2. IS has inflicted heavy casualties on the Syrian army. To continue to claim that the army and IS are „secret partners“ is absurd: https://radioyaran.com/2015/03/07/supported-by-no-evidence-the-telegraph-revives-the-assad-isil-cooperation-myth/
3. Interestingly, those Islamists who were freed by the Syrian government became the „heroes“ of some of the most influential rebel factions that fight against the Syrian armed forces AND – at least on some occasions – against IS:
– Hassan Abboud, (in the meantime assassinated) leader of Ahrar al Sham
– Abdul Qader al Saleh, (also assassinated) leader of Liwa al Tauheed
– Zahran Alloush, leader of Jaish al Islam and a leader of the major umbrella group „Islamic Front“
and many others (none of whom joined IS!):
http://www.thenational.ae/world/middle-east/in-pictures-former-saidnaya-prisoners-turned-rebels
4. IS which went by the name of ISIS/ISIL until 2014 originates from Al Qaeda in Iraq:
„Al-Qa‘ida in Iraq (AQI), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) and more recently the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), was established in April 2004 by long-time Sunni extremist Abu Mus‘ab al-Zarqawi, who the same year pledged his group’s allegiance to Usama Bin Ladin.“
http://www.nctc.gov/site/groups/aqi.html
Zarqawi „achieved notoriety in the early stages of the Iraqi insurgency for the suicide attacks on Shia Islamic mosques, civilians“
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant#Foundation_of_the_group_.281999.E2.80.932006.29
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