Western agencies visited Damascus to discuss security with regime The Syrian conflagration, originally an attempt by secular activists and a collection of locally based militias including some from traditionally Islamist areas to end the Assad family's 40-year grip on power, has become a bitter three-way civil war. In the north, 700 people, including many civilians, have been killed this month in fighting between the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shams (ISIS), the most violent al-Qaeda unit in the country, and other rebel groups. A large part of ISIS's force comprises foreign jihadists, including maybe more than 1,000 from Britain and other Europeans countries. Many European governments have expressed concern that they will return back to their home countries radicalised and heavily trained. Several have been arrested on arrival at Heathrow Airport, and 20 are said to have had their British citizenships removed. Western officials told the Wall Street Journal that the new talks with Damascus representatives focused on these jihadists and al-Qaeda's growing role in the war, and did not "represent a broader diplomatic opening." However, they will confirm fears regularly expressed by the Western-backed parts of the opposition that America, Britain and other European states are now working on the principle that President Bashar al-Assad will stay in power for the immediate future. The Western "Friends of Syria" group, in which Britain plays a leading role, is trying to ensure the opposition Syrian National Coalition and rebel groups are represented in peace talks next week in Switzerland. They have been held up for 18 months by conflicting demands by the two sides, on the rebels" part that any talks must lead to President Assad's removal, on his side that there should be no pre-conditions. Acceptance by the West of Mr Mokdad's presence at the talks, while the opposition still hesitates, suggests that battle has in effect been won by the regime. The retired MI6 officer was the first to arrive in Damascus, last summer, according to the Journal. German, French and Spanish officials followed later in the year. The Americans have yet to take part. Among the people they met was Ali Mamlouk, Mr Assad's feared security chief. He was a point man for western co-operation with Syrian intelligence on jihadism before the uprising, but has since been subject to both US and European sanctions for his role in violently suppressing the initial protests against the regime. Mr Mokdad told the BBC that the visits suggested there were splits between the political and security branches of western governments. Non al-Qaeda opposition groups say that the Assad regime has deliberately left alone territory under jihadist control while attacking other rebel-held districts, such as its recent bombing onslaught on civilian areas of Aleppo province, in order to strengthen ISIS. This would serve to alienate the revolution from its outside supporters. Recent comments by a former American ambassador, Ryan Crocker, that the Assad regime was now the "least worst" option for Syria showed the success of this tactic, they say.