By Raghida Dergham

There have been many recent surprises in the Arab world, mainly heading towards the direction of a developing U.S.-Iranian relationship that goes beyond mere appeasement. This is while the U.S.-Israeli relationship remains a quintessential alliance and while the U.S.-Arab relationship continues with various brandings across the Gulf to Africa, through the Orient and its torn countries.

Assad preparing to hand over Damascus to Daesh: FSA chief

01-06-2015: The Secretary-General of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), Captain Ammar al-Wawi said yesterday, “Bashar al-Assad’s regime is preparing to hand over Damascus to elements of the ‘Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant’ (Daesh) in the event of its fall, but the rebels are aware of this,” adding that “preparations for this began more than a month-and-a-half ago.”

A military chief of the Revolutionary Command Council of Syria has blamed the plight of people on the intervention of the Iranian regime's paramilitary forces in the war-torn country.

Brigadier General Mithghal al-Batish said Iran's aim was to 'annihilate or displace' the Syrian people, but that the regime would fail and 'victory is near'.

By Mario Abou Zeid, Al Jazeera

The long-planned spring battle of Qalamoun - between Hezbollah and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces on one hand, and Syrian rebels on the other hand - started last weekend. Though the Assad regime and Hezbollah are striving for a victory to regain momentum, it will be a lengthy and costly one that will further degrade their capabilities. Furthermore, it has exposed the reality of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Qalamoun; that it is operated by the Syrian regime's intelligence.

The Assad regime has placed its intelligence chief under house arrest after suspecting he was plotting a coup, in a sign that battlefield losses are setting off increasing paranoia in Damascus.

Ali Mamlouk, the head of the country's National Security Bureau, and one of the few officials still to have access to President Bashar al-Assad, was accused of holding secret talks with countries backing rebel groups and exiled members of the Syrian regime.

Kurds in Germany gathered at different rallies in the German capital Berlin Saturday in solidarity with Kurdish protests in Iran that were triggered by the unexplained death of a hotel chambermaid.

Dozens of Kurds from all parts of Kurdistan protested outside the Iranian Embassy in Berlin, calling for an end to injustice and discrimination against Kurds in predominantly Shiite Iran.