By Dr. Terry Simmons
In Homeland Security Guest Contributor

This is a critical examination of the tragic events unfolding in Syria as the last episode of a phenomenon known as the Arab Spring which has spread across North Africa and into Syria. The three intelligence agencies, the CIA, the Mukhabarat, and the SVR, of the United States, Syria, and the Russian Federation respectively, have served as covert conduits for their state and non-state patrons’ efforts to maximize political advantage in this intense struggle for Syria and contiguous regional geopolitical space.