Fransen gaan gokken op rebellen

It's a warm day on the Turkish-Syrian border. France's recently recalled ambassador to Syria is incognito with his deputy and a security agent.

After checking the surroundings are clear, the diplomat pulls out a stash of brown envelopes stuffed with thousands of dollars. The recipients are "viable" rebels operating in zones no longer under President Bashar al-Assad's control.

The scene last September, recounted by French officials, could have come from a spy film. Now Assad's forces appear to be regaining the upper hand on the battlefield.