Suicide Attacks In Damascus Kill At Least 55, Injure More Than 370

[News_Editor]

Suicide attacks in Damascus kill at least 55, injure more than 370 < br /> 2012-05-11 07:38:55 GMT+7 (ICT) DAMASCUS, SYRIA (BNO NEWS) -- Two suicide bombers attacked two public places in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Thursday, killing at least 55 people and injuring more than 370 others, government officials said. It is the worst attack since the conflict began last year.The blasts took place during morning rush hour at around 7:55 a.m. local time when two attackers detonated their explosives-laden vehicles near the crowded al-Qazaz intersection at the southern ring-road and near a military intelligence building. Officials said more than 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) of explosives were used.The explosions, which caused two huge craters at the scene, devastated nearby buildings, blowing off the facade of the military intelligence building, and destroyed some 100 cars and pickup trucks. One of the attacks may have been preceded by a small blast to attract more people to the scene.The Interior Ministry said at least 55 people were killed and 372 others were injured, many of whom were in a critical condition. Relief workers have also collected 15 bags containing numerous body parts, making it likely that the death toll will continue to rise further. Both civilians and security forces were believed to be among those killed and injured."The explosions caused huge material damage to public and private properties, in addition to inflicting damage to around 400 houses," the Interior Ministry said in a statement. Footage aired by state-run television showed graphic images of heavily burnt bodies at the scene.Meanwhile, the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations (UN) and the League of Arab States on the Syrian Crisis, Kofi Annan, condemned the attacks, which were described as 'abhorrent acts' and 'unacceptable.' Annan also underlined that the violence in Syria "must stop," as he extended his condolences to the families of the victims.It was not known who was behind Thursday's attacks.The crisis in Syria, which began in March 2011 as a protest movement similar to those across the Middle East and North Africa, has claimed over 9,000 lives, mostly civilians, and displaced tens of thousands.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-05-11

[Colin Yai]

Mass suicide bombings are just Just run of the mill stuff these days ,the big question is will Syria be better off if and when Assad flys the coop to Iran? with his multi billions of ill gotten gains?

Edited May 11, 2012 by Colin Yai

[coma]

Now the western knockers may start to come around to the fact that Mr Assad is right. His country is under attack from foriegn terrorist. These element just migrate from Iraq to Libya, Libya to Syria. Dark times ahead for Syria me thinks. Dark times indeed. Starting to look more like Fallujah 2004.

[Colin Yai]

Now the western knockers may start to come around to the fact that Mr Assad is right. His country is under attack from foriegn terrorist. These element just migrate from Iraq to Libya, Libya to Syria. Dark times ahead for Syria me thinks. Dark times indeed. Starting to look more like Fallujah 2004.

I do hope you are not including me in your "western knockers" accusations, I ask a simple question , and of course I have reservations on the outcome , mainly born out by the rabid crowd screaming out at every given opportunity Allah Akhbar !!,maybe life means nothing to them just so long as they achieve their goal as another hard line Islamic Country , given that I am not saying that Assad,s hand,s are clean no more than I would say Gadhifi's hands was ,whats the Answer?, you tell me.

[Exsexyman]

Now the western knockers may start to come around to the fact that Mr Assad is right. His country is under attack from foriegn terrorist. These element just migrate from Iraq to Libya, Libya to Syria. Dark times ahead for Syria me thinks. Dark times indeed. Starting to look more like Fallujah 2004.

I do hope you are not including me in your "western knockers" accusations, I ask a simple question , and of course I have reservations on the outcome , mainly born out by the rabid crowd screaming out at every given opportunity Allah Akhbar !!,maybe life means nothing to them just so long as they achieve their goal as another hard line Islamic Country , given that I am not saying that Assad,s hand,s are clean no more than I would say Gadhifi's hands was ,whats the Answer?, you tell me.

Whats the answer? Well a good start would be for The West to stop financing and arming Islamic militants who they are using in an attempt to overthrow governments that won't roll over for them, and replace them with governments that will. According to the BBC there is growing international concern that jihadi fighters linked to Al Qaida are behind the suicide bombings in Syria. Probably coming in from Libya, where they have been doing NATO,s bidding in reducing that country to anarchy and chaos. Syria has clearly been facing a foreign backed armed insurgency, how would any country react if they were faced with this? I notice that after months of anti Assad rhetoric from Hague and Clinton, on a daily basis, they have suddenly gone very quiet now that their grand plan is starting to go pear shaped. Not a peep out of them about the ship full of arms that was intercepted recently in the Lebanon, which was destined for the so called rebels in Syria. I wonder why!

[Colin Yai]

Now the western knockers may start to come around to the fact that Mr Assad is right. His country is under attack from foriegn terrorist. These element just migrate from Iraq to Libya, Libya to Syria. Dark times ahead for Syria me thinks. Dark times indeed. Starting to look more like Fallujah 2004.

I do hope you are not including me in your "western knockers" accusations, I ask a simple question , and of course I have reservations on the outcome , mainly born out by the rabid crowd screaming out at every given opportunity Allah Akhbar !!,maybe life means nothing to them just so long as they achieve their goal as another hard line Islamic Country , given that I am not saying that Assad,s hand,s are clean no more than I would say Gadhifi's hands was ,whats the Answer?, you tell me.

Whats the answer? Well a good start would be for The West to stop financing and arming Islamic militants who they are using in an attempt to overthrow governments that won't roll over for them, and replace them with governments that will. According to the BBC there is growing international concern that jihadi fighters linked to Al Qaida are behind the suicide bombings in Syria. Probably coming in from Libya, where they have been doing NATO,s bidding in reducing that country to anarchy and chaos. Syria has clearly been facing a foreign backed armed insurgency, how would any country react if they were faced with this? I notice that after months of anti Assad rhetoric from Hague and Clinton, on a daily basis, they have suddenly gone very quiet now that their grand plan is starting to go pear shaped. Not a peep out of them about the ship full of arms that was intercepted recently in the Lebanon, which was destined for the so called rebels in Syria. I wonder why!

Of course your concerns are not without foundation and are more or less in tandem with mine.

[coma]

Now the western knockers may start to come around to the fact that Mr Assad is right. His country is under attack from foriegn terrorist. These element just migrate from Iraq to Libya, Libya to Syria. Dark times ahead for Syria me thinks. Dark times indeed. Starting to look more like Fallujah 2004.

I do hope you are not including me in your "western knockers" accusations, I ask a simple question , and of course I have reservations on the outcome , mainly born out by the rabid crowd screaming out at every given opportunity Allah Akhbar !!,maybe life means nothing to them just so long as they achieve their goal as another hard line Islamic Country , given that I am not saying that Assad,s hand,s are clean no more than I would say Gadhifi's hands was ,whats the Answer?, you tell me.

No Colin. You are exempt. The answer.IMO. Stop all the covert support for the opposition.Even though they are not responsible for this attack they have created an environment that terrorist groups thrive in. It is called lawlessness.

Most people from non Arab backgrounds seem to have trouble getting thier heads around the fact that many of these Middle Eastern countries need to be ruled with an iron fist.

Edited May 11, 2012 by coma

[Colin Yai]

Coma , as in my post#6 to Essexyman your thoughts and concerns are not without foundation and are more or less in tandem with mine ,but what a state of affairs when a Country has to be ruled by an Iron fisted Dictator ,not much hope is there? Radical Islam or a dictatorship!.

[coma]

Coma , as in my post#6 to Essexyman your thoughts and concerns are not without foundation and are more or less in tandem with mine ,but what a state of affairs when a Country has to be ruled by an Iron fisted Dictator ,not much hope is there? Radical Islam or a dictatorship!.

I agree. But Arabs are a very highly strung race.You said it yourself "mainly born out by the rabid crowd screaming out at every given opportunity Allah Akhbar". It is indeed a sad state of affairs but we are seeing the alternative unfold before us. Death and destruction by persons unknown.

[Steely Dan]

I would just offer as an anecdote that when the 'rebels' captured Homs the first thing they did was expel the entire Christian population confiscating all their belongings.

http://www.globalres...xt=va&aid=29842

Have a look at the link and bear in mind that the Wahhabi brigade expelling the Christians are of the same ideology as the Saudis and Qataris who have joined western forces for 'military exercises' in Jordan.

Intervention in Syria will not stop the suffering but just result in persecution on a sectarian basis by the most populous against the minorities. Such as the concept of democracy exists in the middle east this is how it manifests itself. It is also worth noting that Assad although he is vile is also a secular tyrant, which is a much easier task to control than anarchy or religious fundamentalism.

Edited May 11, 2012 by Steely Dan

[Colin Yai]

I would just offer as an anecdote that when the 'rebels' captured Homs the first thing they did was expel the entire Christian population confiscating all their belongings.

http://www.globalres...xt=va&aid=29842

Have a look at the link and bear in mind that the Wahhabi brigade expelling the Christians are of the same ideology as the Saudis and Qataris who have joined western forces for 'military exercises' in Jordan.

Intervention in Syria will not stop the suffering but just result in persecution on a sectarian basis by the most populous against the minorities. Such as the concept of democracy exists in the middle east this is how it manifests itself. It is also worth noting that Assad although he is vile is also a secular tyrant, which is a much easier task to control than anarchy or religious fundamentalism.

Thanks for the Link Dan ,this puts a whole different slant on the situation ,I just hope that those who are bent on the deposing of Assad are fully aware of all the real facts as to just what he will be replaced with.

[coma]

I would just offer as an anecdote that when the 'rebels' captured Homs the first thing they did was expel the entire Christian population confiscating all their belongings.

http://www.globalres...xt=va&aid=29842

Have a look at the link and bear in mind that the Wahhabi brigade expelling the Christians are of the same ideology as the Saudis and Qataris who have joined western forces for 'military exercises' in Jordan.

Intervention in Syria will not stop the suffering but just result in persecution on a sectarian basis by the most populous against the minorities. Such as the concept of democracy exists in the middle east this is how it manifests itself. It is also worth noting that Assad although he is vile is also a secular tyrant, which is a much easier task to control than anarchy or religious fundamentalism.

Thanks for the Link Dan ,this puts a whole different slant on the situation ,I just hope that those who are bent on the deposing of Assad are fully aware of all the real facts as to just what he will be replaced with.

Right on !

[Exsexyman]

I would just offer as an anecdote that when the 'rebels' captured Homs the first thing they did was expel the entire Christian population confiscating all their belongings.

http://www.globalres...xt=va&aid=29842

Have a look at the link and bear in mind that the Wahhabi brigade expelling the Christians are of the same ideology as the Saudis and Qataris who have joined western forces for 'military exercises' in Jordan.

Intervention in Syria will not stop the suffering but just result in persecution on a sectarian basis by the most populous against the minorities. Such as the concept of democracy exists in the middle east this is how it manifests itself. It is also worth noting that Assad although he is vile is also a secular tyrant, which is a much easier task to control than anarchy or religious fundamentalism.

Thanks for the Link Dan ,this puts a whole different slant on the situation ,I just hope that those who are bent on the deposing of Assad are fully aware of all the real facts as to just what he will be replaced with.

Yes, a very good link Steely, and a very good post if i may say so. The problem i have with this, is that if the West were trying to get rid of Assad for purely altruistic reasons, because they were genuinely concerned about the suffering of Syrian citizens, i would be applauding. But they are not are they, they really don't care about that, it is just a fig leaf to justify their actions. The (not so covert now) financing and arming of these jihadists are for their own self interested reasons. The West were more than happy to put up with Assad's vileness for years when it suited them, rendering people there to be tortured etc. Now suddenly they are wringing their hands in a totally hypocritical manner, saying what an evil man he is. And as you say, no thought has gone into what would happen to a large proportion (as you say mainly christian) of the Syrian population if Assad is replaced by these islamic insurgents. They really don't care, the ends justify the means. If Assad falls, the Syrians who are not fundamentalists will meet the same fate as their counterparts in Libya, where thousands of non believers and black skinned Libyans have disappeared, been strung up etc, leaving what was by the standards of the region a prosperous and stable country in chaos and anarchy, with many cities in ruins. To use an old English expression, 'Swapping the devil for old nick'. There surely needs to be a radical rethink of Western policy regarding The Middle East before it all ends in total disaster. But sadly, i won't be holding my breath!

[folium]

Interesting update on Syria from a BBC journalist who has spent some time travelling inside the country recently.

Quick note: the "Nusra Front" look a right rabble if there video footage is anything to go by!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18193504