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Attacks in Syria
Who is to blame?
Dec 24th 2011, 15:21 by The Economist online
TWO simultaneous car bombs at security buildings rocked Damascus on the morning of Friday December 23rd. Residents and diplomats said the explosions, which were followed by gunfire, in Kafer Souseh, a wealthy area of the capital, reverberated across the city. At least 44 people died and scores more were injured, according to Syrian officials who said that the majority were civilians. State television and SANA, the Syrian news agency, showed graphic footage of burned-out cars and rescuers carting off bodies. For now, that is all that is known.
Since protests began against the government of Bashar Assad nine months ago, Syrian officials have portrayed their opponents—who have mostly been peaceful protesters though some, mainly army defectors, have now taken up arms—as terrorists and extremists.
For this reason, opposition groups blame the regime for the explosions. The Syrian Revolution General Commission denounced the bombings as "a familiar pathetic move from the Syrian government to plant fear and terror in the hearts of civilians". They suspect the government of trying to convince observers from the Arab League, who arrived the day before to assess the situation in Syria, that terrorists are behind the unrest.
State media was unusually quick to cover the bombings, saying they bore the "blueprints of al-Qaeda". By contrast, an attack on a security building in Harasta in November received no coverage. The league delegation was quickly ushered to the scene of the attacks, which were described as part of an Israeli-American plot. "We said it from the beginning, this is terrorism," Faisal Mikdad, the deputy foreign minister, told reporters. "They are killing the army and civilians."
Armed opponents, most of whom are part of the Free Syrian Army, the main opposition group, have claimed two attacks in the capital in recent months. But equipped with little more than guns and rocket-propelled grenades, such coordinated attacks are beyond them. Government forces have enough control over the country and its borders to make an attack by foreigners—such as al-Qaeda—unlikely. Bombings and extremists have been rare in the authoritarian country: the last regular bombings occurred in the 1980s when Bashar's father Hafez grappled with an Islamist uprising. Since then the regime has worked hard to quash any signs of religious fundamentalism.
The arrival of the Arab League delegation in Damascus on Thursday to oversee an end to the violence came at the end of one of the bloodiest weeks since the start of the uprising and after weeks of delaying tactics by Mr Assad. One hundred and seventy people, including army defectors, were killed in violence in the Jabal Zawiya area close to the Turkish border in the north-west, according to opposition groups. Dozens of Syrian military personnel were also killed.
Before Friday's bombings, dissidents had already claimed the government would seek to put on a show for the Arab League. The opposition has criticised the appointment as head of the mission of Mohammed Ahmed al-Dabi, a Sudanese general who was in charge in Darfur during a period during which war crimes are alleged to have taken place.
The attacks may not have any impact on the view of the Arab League, which has long been suspicious of the Syrian regime's claims that the country is grappling with terrorists and frustrated by Mr Assad's reluctance to sign any kind of deal. But the bombs may further rally the president's supporters to his side. While opponents denounced the authorities' responsibility for the bombs, the government's supporters pointed to them as further evidence of a conspiracy against their country.
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Within 30 minutes of the explosion, Syrian authorities had investigated the cause, implicated Al Qaeda,, arrested the culprits and presented them to the newly arrived Arab League Observers. The motorcade was conveniently diverted and came upon the crime sight still smoking and bleeding.
This is either damn fine police work or a crudely handled staged publicity event.
Apologies to the 45 dead and hundreds wounded, but the Assad Regime needed to makea bold statement, underlined, all caps, and with an exclamation point:
The protests are formed by violent foreign jmilitant Islamic jihadists. Assad has the suspects, he caught one and who even confessed and signed a sworn statement! Does he have to spell his message in human bodies? What more evidence is needed? Do you want anarchy? Another Iraq? The US should have left Saddam Hussein alone...only a strongman can bring peace to the Arabs. Now leave Asssad alone in his Kingdom. ASSAD= PEACE.
Assad is the last bastion against terror!
And let him carry on a monopoly of State Sponsored Terrorism--the ONLY LEGITIMATE TERRORISM.
Or maybe it was indeed perpetrated by a rebel splinter group with terrorist inclinations. It's really too soon to know much at all. I'm firmly opposed to Assad, but let's at least try to be objective about this, shall we?
Don't believe the Assad regime's murderous lies they'll stoop to any level of evil and kill anyone to try and achieve their objectives. How convenient that these "terrorist" bombings happened just as the Arab league member arrived and there were no bombings previously, many of the dead and injured were people who were already in custody. The only terrorists here are Assad and his butchering cronies.
Media jumping to conclusions?! Shock and horror! That would NEVER happen in the US or Europe! Especially on an issue as sensitive as terrorism.
The importance of a terrorist attack is never in the attack itself, but in the response it provokes. And that response often depends more on outside than on internal factors.
Hint: Saudi Arabia is in a cold war with Iran - as Sunni vs Shia, but also for control of the Gulf. That's why both countries intervene covertly in Iraq. Saudi Arabia has major influence in the Arab League, and Syria is an ally of Iran. Is it any surprise the Arab league is after Assad's head?
Hint2: Stonings still occur in Saudi Arabia. Saudi intervention in Bahrain during the Arab spring was violent and bloody. Can anyone seriously attribute human rights' concerns as motivation to the Saudis?
The UN, Europe and the Arab League have all attempted to force Syria to cease hostilities against its own citizens by threatening an economic embargo to no avail. With oil production comprising a significant portion of Syria's GDP as shown here, this should ultimately impact Bashar Assad's ability to rule:
http://viableopposition.blogspot.com/2011/08/syria-oil-producing-nation....
Bashar Assad learned learned about "freedom" from his father. He is unlikely to change unless change is forced on him.
Who is to blame?
Butcher al-Assad
You are such a troll Steve Thompson.
Stop your annoying self-promotion
When the day of reckoning comes, and it is when and not if, no quarters will be given to Assad and his henchmen. They will be hunted down and will be shown the same kind of mercy he and his henchmen show to the protesters now. It will get really ugly in Syria; and the Assad regime makes all but certain by its actions. No doubt it will be all the West's fault...
do you know how many check point you need to even get within 2 k of the intelegence in Damascus ?
you must be the IVISIBLE to get there to blow yourself up.
7 years had passed and the car bomb that killed ex prime minister of Lebanon Hariri still on the loose (( ""in the presidential palace in Damascus ""))and the UN invistigation still going nowhere !!, but , right after the car bombs " suiciders " they -Assad`s law and order stars kind of DNA ! they found the perpetrators in half and hour ,,,,wow ,,wow .
Assad you evil you , why didnt you just come out and tell the world either me or i will send Alqaed ( made at Assad`s order )to blow up cars .
hey America , if you want to find out who killed OJ simpson`s wife you know who to turn to help
the spy agancies of KGB , CIA , and Assad`s spies were competing on who is the fastest of capturing a fox after releasing him , it took the KGB 2 hours to bring the fox in , it took the CIA one hour , and after half an hour , Assad`s spies were seen torturing a donkey to confess he was the fox.
BREAKING NEWS ON SYRIAN TV ;
Osama Bin Ladin released a video tape claiming responsibilty for the Damascus attack !.
I don't even see the point of having articles like this one.
Why do we think that we should be discussing the obvious, when people are needlessly dying in Syria?
I don't even see the point of having articles like this one.
Why do we think that we should be discussing the obvious, when people are needlessly dying in Syria?
"Who is to blame?"
Umm, Israel?
What a happy choice: we either end up with Bashar Assad or end up with the Syrian version of the Muslim Brotherhood.
I'd say lets kick out Assad if we can; simply on the general principal that he's a very bad man and deserves it, and he and his dad have been in power long enough.
But lets have few illusions that this is an "Arab Spring". More like a Muslim Khamsin.
(Khamsin = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khamsin )
Humanitarian intervention seems to be a tool to occupy ME. We should creatively seek another way to safe innocent people. Neo imperialism by design is underway. See "the Arab Spring and the West: Seven Lessons from History (Seumas Milne, www.guardian.co.uk)
Second, the play of intelligence power is BEYOND pre-emptive strike. So the dictatorism rule is a half Truth. Intention to topple Gov from within, through implanted intelligence, is another half Truth. Nothing impossible in modern era.
Intelligence powers of the world are uncontrollable.
Intelligence powers of the world are behind clash of civilization.
Intelligence powers of the world are feed by misery of developing countries.
Intelligence power of the world actually armed by nuclear management.
The people just figures, democracy just masks, human rights just legal factor.
The crying people doesnt know political chess play.
Intervention is conspiracy, said Sherlock Holmes.
Intelligence powersof the world are uncontrollable.
Think.
I see Arab Spring end no where. It was so easy to bring up the motivation of revolution. Everyone talk about freedom, free election, free media, right to work, right to choose..etc... Nothing wrong with that. BUT how to reach there. many thought it will happen over night.
The west took hundred years to reach where they are now. Not forget it was supported by huge wealth they got thru industry revolution as well as imperialism. Only when society reach to certain level of wealth and education, moderate in religion, a truly meaningful election and rule of laws achieved. Do Arab world has them?
If you have none, it only leads you to mistrust among own citizen, unrest among politician, and worst civil wars.
Israel has interests in some countries, in US, ME, and your country. It is easy to have fake passports or launch a clandestine play.
But dont believe it before you explore MilkyWay and Yahoo, Baidu, Muzi, Nihao.
In environment point of view, Russia and China is a part of its chain. Checks and balance.
The simple hidden imperial intention is civil war.
The economic motive of imperalist is oil.
The umbrella of imperial heart is country or nation.
The noble victim of current imperialism is you.
The little imperialist that occupy Great Imperialists is Israel.
The simple target just civil war, sectarian war, ethnic war, religious war.
Ask Uri Avnery.
It is easy to create civil war. Ask Philip Giraldi.
It is easy to hide civilian genocide. Ask Noam Chomsky, Seymour, Goldstone.
It is easy to blame human rights violation. Ask me.