Terrorist attacks in Damascus a "serious warning to government, opposition alike": analysts
DAMASCUS, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Syrian analysts and observers regarded the brazen bombing of two security centers in Damascus on Friday as "a serious warning to the authorities and the opposition alike," calling for convening an immediate national conference to find an outlet to the intractable impasse.
Two suicide car bombers struck Friday the headquarters of the intelligence department building and the Region Security Branch in central Damascus, killing at least 40 people and wounding 150 others, an official told Xinhua.
Syrian state TV immediately apportioned blame on al-Qaida and said initial investigations point out that al-Qaida group is behind the two blasts.
"The bombings against the intelligence headquarters are a very serious warning as they are the start of terrorist attacks by al- Qaida," Ali Mahfouz, a political researcher and a member of the "Third Way" movement, which advocates a middle-of-the-road opinion between the regime and the government, told Xinhua by phone.
Mahfouz urged to "face these kinds of terrorist acts by holding a national conference that would comprise all spectra of the Syrian people to find an outlet to put an end to the escalating violence."
"We must hurry to salvage our country," he said.
For his side, Fayyez Sayegh, a political analyst, said "the attacks deliver a message to the world that terrorism has no home and it moves everywhere."
"What happened today is a clear-cut evidence that terrorist groups neither want reform nor democracy," he told Xinhua, accusing al-Qaida militants of being behind the attacks.
He urged the Syrian opposition to condemn the attacks to prove its nationalism, adding "if they didn't hasten to condemn the attacks and ignored what happened, they are a partner in the shedding of the Syrian blood."
On the opposition side, Loai Hussain, a leading opponent, expressed condemnation over the attacks "regardless of who stands behind them."
He said that he wasn't surprised by the attacks because "I've warned the government that the security handling of the current crisis would lead to such results."
The brazen bombing came as Arab League observers have arrived in Damascus to monitor the country's unrest on ground.
Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, who rushed to the scene along with an Arab League observers delegation, told reporters that "we have said since the start of unrest in the country that this is terrorism and a murder of army members."
Sami Seif al-Yazal, a member of the Arab League observers who have arrived in Damascus on Thursday to monitor an end to the government's crackdown on protesters, said "this is regretful... we are here to see facts on ground."
Also, Maj. Gen Rustom Ghazali, former head of Syrian intelligence in Lebanon, has reportedly said "this is a criminal and sinful act and confirms that there are agent tools that carry out the hostile foreign project." But, he added, "this will not affect the morale of the security forces, the citizens and the army... Our morale will always remain high and we will resist this project till the last drop of our blood and will undermine the sedition."
Syria said Thursday that more than 2,000 army men were killed by armed groups since the unrest began in March.
Last week, the Lebanese army raised concerns at a security meeting that some "Syrian refugees" fleeing to Lebanon are actually al-Qaida members, the Lebanese English-language The Daily Star reported.
Lebanese Army Commander Jean Kahwagi confirmed to sources close to the prime minister that some weapon smugglers who claim to be Syrian opposition are in fact al-Qaida members, The Daily Star said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people flocked Syrian main squares nationwide to express condemnation of the two terrorist attacks, according to SANA.
Source http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/indepth/2011-12/24/c_122476244.htm
Two suicide car bombers struck Friday the headquarters of the intelligence department building and the Region Security Branch in central Damascus, killing at least 40 people and wounding 150 others, an official told Xinhua.
Syrian state TV immediately apportioned blame on al-Qaida and said initial investigations point out that al-Qaida group is behind the two blasts.
"The bombings against the intelligence headquarters are a very serious warning as they are the start of terrorist attacks by al- Qaida," Ali Mahfouz, a political researcher and a member of the "Third Way" movement, which advocates a middle-of-the-road opinion between the regime and the government, told Xinhua by phone.
Mahfouz urged to "face these kinds of terrorist acts by holding a national conference that would comprise all spectra of the Syrian people to find an outlet to put an end to the escalating violence."
"We must hurry to salvage our country," he said.
For his side, Fayyez Sayegh, a political analyst, said "the attacks deliver a message to the world that terrorism has no home and it moves everywhere."
"What happened today is a clear-cut evidence that terrorist groups neither want reform nor democracy," he told Xinhua, accusing al-Qaida militants of being behind the attacks.
He urged the Syrian opposition to condemn the attacks to prove its nationalism, adding "if they didn't hasten to condemn the attacks and ignored what happened, they are a partner in the shedding of the Syrian blood."
On the opposition side, Loai Hussain, a leading opponent, expressed condemnation over the attacks "regardless of who stands behind them."
He said that he wasn't surprised by the attacks because "I've warned the government that the security handling of the current crisis would lead to such results."
The brazen bombing came as Arab League observers have arrived in Damascus to monitor the country's unrest on ground.
Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, who rushed to the scene along with an Arab League observers delegation, told reporters that "we have said since the start of unrest in the country that this is terrorism and a murder of army members."
Sami Seif al-Yazal, a member of the Arab League observers who have arrived in Damascus on Thursday to monitor an end to the government's crackdown on protesters, said "this is regretful... we are here to see facts on ground."
Also, Maj. Gen Rustom Ghazali, former head of Syrian intelligence in Lebanon, has reportedly said "this is a criminal and sinful act and confirms that there are agent tools that carry out the hostile foreign project." But, he added, "this will not affect the morale of the security forces, the citizens and the army... Our morale will always remain high and we will resist this project till the last drop of our blood and will undermine the sedition."
Syria said Thursday that more than 2,000 army men were killed by armed groups since the unrest began in March.
Last week, the Lebanese army raised concerns at a security meeting that some "Syrian refugees" fleeing to Lebanon are actually al-Qaida members, the Lebanese English-language The Daily Star reported.
Lebanese Army Commander Jean Kahwagi confirmed to sources close to the prime minister that some weapon smugglers who claim to be Syrian opposition are in fact al-Qaida members, The Daily Star said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people flocked Syrian main squares nationwide to express condemnation of the two terrorist attacks, according to SANA.
Source http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/indepth/2011-12/24/c_122476244.htm
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