FSA denies responsibility for Damascus explosion

Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat – Pro-Syrian regime figures have accused the Free Syrian Army [FSA] of being responsible for the suicide attack in Damascus yesterday which resulted in the deaths of 26 people and the wounding of some 63 others, particularly as this attack comes after FSA commander Colonel Riad al-Assad had threatened that his forces could “take a decision which will surprise the regime and the whole world.”  However speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the day of the attack, Colonel al-Assad stressed that the FSA was not responsible for the suicide bombing and instead pointed the finger at the Syrian regime itself.  The FSA commander said “it is the Syrian authorities who have masterminded this operation, in order to blame it on the FSA after we announced that we had resumed our operations against the government forces.”

Speaking exclusively to Asharq Al-Awsat, Colonel Riad al-Assad also announced that “the FSA will not stand idly by whilst it watches the Syrian people being killed and slaughtered at the hands of the Bashar al-Assad regime.”

Al-Assad said that he will await the outcome of the Arab League ministerial meeting that is being held on Sunday before taking any decision regarding future operations.  However he did reveal that the FSA has “prepared a strategy that it will begin to enforce in the forthcoming days, and this is to transfer the battle to the regime’s backyard”  Commander al-Assad refused to disclose the precise nature of these operations.

Colonel al-Assad also informed Asharq Al-Awsat that “if the Arab observers announce that their mission has been completed and fails to stop the al-Assad killing machine then all options will be on the table with regards to overthrowing this criminal regime that is shedding the blood of our people, either through systematic killing or a campaign of bombings which have begun to gain pace.  We have seen a number of such bombings take place in the recent period which have been quickly blamed on Al Qaeda and the FSA, however we have become accustomed to such fabrications over the past 40 years.”

He added “we see today that this regime, 11 months after the beginning of the revolution, has begun to plan for division and a long civil war, but these plans will fail, and this regime is facing an inevitable demise.”

Colonel al-Assad stressed that “the explosion that took place in the Midan district [of Damascus] was a message to the revolution, because this district was the first residential district in Damascus to revolt against the regime.”

He asked “is it logical for any honourable Syrian to carry out an act such as this within a residential neighborhood?  Why has not one bullet been fired on the pro-regime demonstrations, and not one [pro-regime] demonstrator been injured or wounded [as opposed to the anti-regime demonstrations]?  Is it logical that those conspiring against the regime – as the al-Assad regime claims – only target and kills those demonstrating against the regime?”

Colonel Riad al-Assad also told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the Syrian regime will not last for more than another six months, because the morale of the Syrian army is collapsing.”  He added “We are communicating with many officers and soldiers who have revealed this collapse in morale and self-esteem…and they have also told us that they live in terror [of the regime], which is committed to preventing them from defecting.”

He stressed that “there are more than1,500 Syrian army officers in prison, and nobody knows their fate, for this regime has established itself on a foundation of security operations, and when we were part of the [regular] army we lived in terror [of the regime], for nobody could trust even their closest colleague for fear that he could inform against you.”

Answering a question as to whether the creed of the Syrian army will help it remain unified and keep morale up, Colonel al-Assad stressed “this army has no creed, other than bowing to and glorifying the regime.”  He added “for 40 years, this regime did not raise the Syrian army on defending the nation, but rather on defending the regime…whilst they tricked the people with slogans of resistance against Zionism and Israel, however in reality they were faithful allies to Zionism and Israel.  the evidence of this is that in 40 years not a single bullet has been fired by the Syrian army on the front with Israel.”