Perilous
Times
Syrian rebels strike heart of Damascus
Syrian rebels struck at the heart of Damascus, firing rocket
propelled grenades at the municipal headquarters of the ruling
Ba'ath party in an attack that exposed the regime's vulnerability
in its most heavily-fortified citadel.
The Ba'ath Party headquarters in Damascus was attacked by the Free
Syrian Army Photo: AP
By Adrian Blomfield, Middle East Correspondent
12:01AM GMT 21 Nov 2011
The Telegraph UK
Fighters on motorcycles launched a volley of grenades at the
building, a highly symbolic target in the centre of the city,
shortly before dawn, according to activists aligned with the
opposition.
The Free Syrian Army, an increasingly potent force of army
deserters, claimed responsibility for the attack, the first of its
kind in central Damascus, which has remained largely calm since
the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad erupted in March.
The Syrian government strongly denied any attack had taken place,
although it could not explain why the area around the building had
been sealed off. Residents nearby reported hearing a series of
explosions and seeing a thick plume of smoke above the city. Fire
engines were later seen speeding towards the scene.
The attack represents a shift in the Syrian Free Army's tactics,
one that has clearly unnerved the regime.
Until last week, the rebel group, which was formed at the end of
July, largely restricted itself to ambushes against police convoys
along remote country roads, although fighters had also engaged the
security forces during protests outside Damascus and Aleppo,
Syria's two principal cities. Such incidents were given widespread
coverage on state television, which portrayed them as terrorist
attacks.
But in recent days the rebels have grown much bolder, launching a
daring raid on an army barracks in southern Syria where they
reportedly killed more than 30 soldiers. They then attacked the
air force's intelligence headquarters on the outskirts of
Damascus.
As in Sunday's operation, the damage caused is believed to have
been limited, but the high-value symbolism of the two targets will
not be lost on the Syrian people. The Ba'ath party and air force
intelligence are both seen as among the regime's chief instruments
of repression.
The rebels boasted that their attacks proved they could strike
"anywhere and at any time". More significantly, they hope that
such high-profile operations will convince soldiers who remain in
the army, but are unhappy with the regime's response to the
uprising, that they are strong enough to make defection a viable
option.
The Free Syrian Army boasts it has as many 25,000 fighters in its
ranks, a number challenged by its critics who say the true figure
is closer to 1,000 – against an army that is more than 200,000
strong.
While not yet in a position to do more than harry the regime, the
rebels are clearly beginning to unsettle the authorities.
Tellingly, none of the three latest attacks was reported by state
television.
Despite the growing threat, Mr Assad insisted this weekend that
his regime remained impregnable and would emerge triumphant,
saying he would resist both the rebels and growing international
pressure against his regime.
"I assure you that Syria will not bow down and that it will
continue to resist the pressure being imposed on it," he told The
Sunday Times.
But his attempts to avert punitive action by Arab states appeared
to be faltering. The Arab League on Sunday rejected Syria's
attempts to impose restrictions over its demands to deploy 500
observers to the country to monitor a peace plan Mr Assad agreed
to uphold, but has so far flouted.
The League voted to suspend Syria's membership last week, but then
delayed the enforcement of its decision to give Mr Assad more time
to show he was willing to end the violence. It could impose
sanctions when the bloc's foreign ministers meet on Thursday.
In a sign that Mr Assad's political opponents are growing more
organised, the principal Syrian opposition coalition, which has
distanced itself from the tactics of the armed rebel groups,
announced a manifesto yesterday for the country's transition to
democratic rule.
It promised to establish a parliamentary republic and to hold
elections for an assembly that would draft a new constitution
within a year of Mr Assad's overthrow. The constitution would then
be put before the people in a referendum, with a general election
following shortly afterwards.