Damascus

West doesn’t mind if Assad stays as extremists massacre Syria

The Syrian president is the lesser of two evils – that seems to be the message from Western powers to the rebels, at the latest so-called ‘Friends of Syria’ meeting. The apparent U-turn was prompted by the rise of al-Qaeda and other extremist groups there, which may gain the upper hand if Bashar Assad’s government falls. In the latest incident, dozens of innocent people were reportedly killed and tortured, when radicals raided the town of Adra outside Damascus.

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Syrian TV, chemical inspectors’ hotel targeted in bomb attacks in Damascus

Syrian TV, chemical inspectors’ hotel targeted in bomb attacks in Damascus

Multiple bomb blasts have rocked the Syrian capital of Damascus, a mortar attack on Syrian TV among them, reports RT’s correspondent at the scene.

  Suicide bombers blew up two booby-trapped cars near the General  Organization of Radio and TV in Damascus, state TV reported.  

  RT correspondent Paula Slier said that two security guards were  confirmed dead in the blasts while two suicide bombers died in  their cars. 

“Within the last 20 minutes there were two massive explosions  in downtown Damascus. It seems that one was right in front of the  Syrian TV and we are seeing some footage being circulated on line  by the rebels saying that their target is the Syrian TV,”   said Slier.  

  But Syrian state news agency SANA said that there were no  casualties while blaming the blasts on “terrorists”. 

  Syrian TV showed footage of what appeared to be two burning  vehicles, a fire engine and a building which had had its windows  burnt out.  

  Slier added that the rebels have published a video on internet  saying they will target the Syrian TV building.  She also  said that rebels had warned civilians to stay away from all  military checkpoints in the city, prior to the blasts, which were  just two minutes apart.  

Assad did not order Syria chemical weapons attack, says German press

Assad did not order Syria chemical weapons attack, says German press

President Bashar al-Assad did not personally order last month’s chemical weapons attack near Damascus that has triggered calls for US military intervention, and blocked numerous requests from his military commanders to use chemical weapons against regime opponents in recent months, a German newspaper has reported , citing unidentified, high-level national security sources.

The intelligence findings were based on phone calls intercepted by a German surveillance ship operated by the BND, the German intelligence service, and deployed off the Syrian coast, Bild am Sonntag said. The intercepted communications suggested Assad, who is accused of war crimes by the west, including foreign secretary William Hague, was not himself involved in last month’s attack or in other instances when government forces have allegedly used chemical weapons.

Assad sought to exonerate himself from the August attack in which hundreds died. “There has been no evidence that I used chemical weapons against my own people,” he said in an interview with CBS