Syria Accuses West Of Cooperating With Al Qaeda
Syria said Saturday that the attacks that occurred in Damascus and Aleppo are the result of collaboration between the U.S. and the West, on the one hand, and militants linked to Al Qaeda, on the other hand, in to destabilize the country.
“The Western powers and the United States, who created an alliance to open a war on the pretext of fighting terrorism, now create alliances with terrorists in Syria,” said the Syrian Minister of Information.
He said the double suicide car bomb attack that killed 55 people Wednesday in Damascus bears the type of operation adopted by Al-Qaeda. The attacks were claimed Saturday by an unknown group.
“This terrorist escalation by using car bombs with tons of explosives to target the Syrian people are in line with the bloody terrorist strategy used by armed groups and al-Qaeda, with the support of Western powers who provide weapons and money, “said the Syrian minister.
The Syrian opposition has denied any role in these deadly attacks and accused the government of being responsible.
On Wednesday, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned there is only a short time to prevent Syria from descending into a civil war.
The deadly attacks are increasing in Syria, despite the presence of nearly 150 international observers from to monitor the implementation of a truce.
Damascus and Aleppo, the two largest cities, were hit by several attacks from December 2011 but the number of attacks has recently increased, particularly since the entry into force of the April 12 cease-fire under the plan of the international envoy Kofi Annan.
On Friday, Syrian authorities said they foiled a suicide bombing in Aleppo. The bomber was shot down “before he could commit the crime of terrorism”, according to state television. The car was carrying 1,200 kilograms of explosives, the report added.
At the same time, the repression of the popular protest movement against the regime of Bashar al-Assad continues. Eight civilians were killed Saturday by regime forces in the regions of Hama, Idleb and Deir ez-Zor, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
In addition, soldiers clashed with dissident in the regions of Idleb, Deraa and Homs. Elsewhere, the troops bombed a village in the region of Homs, killing seven people, while explosions could be heard in the province of Idleb, where the troops were firing rockets.
