TURKEY: The Syrian National Council in Turkey calls for a United Nations investigation to establish responsibility for a bomb in Damascus that left 55 dead

Record ID: 280796

  • Title: TURKEY: The Syrian National Council in Turkey calls for a United Nations investigation to establish responsibility for a bomb in Damascus that left 55 dead
  • Date: 12th May 2012
  • Summary: ISTANBUL, TURKEY (MAY 11, 2012) (REUTERS) SYRIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL MEMBERS AT NEWS CONFERENCE PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MEMBER OF SYRIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL JAMAL AL-WADI, SAYING: "If this al Qaeda is only targeting civilians but no one else, then it means this al Qaeda is organised by the regime and even the regime itself is al Qaeda." PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE)
  • Embargoed: 27th May 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: Crime,Conflict,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA2GRARGNOYMQI32U0CFZUCJNZZ
  • Story Text: A member of the Syrian National Council in Turkey on Friday (May 11) demanded the UN investigate blasts that tore through the Syrian capital Damascus on Thursday with the government and the rebels accusing each other for the explosions.
    Syria's foreign ministry blamed foreign-backed terrorism for the suicide bombs that killed 55 and wounded 372.
    No one claimed responsibility for Thursday's blast. An al Qaeda-inspired group however has claimed responsibility for Syria explosions in the past.
    The increasing series of big bombings in Syria has generated various theories, including that some may be self-inflicted wounds by security agents out to discredit the rebels, or that they may show the rise of al Qaeda-linked Syrian Islamists with skills honed by years of activity across the border in Iraq.
    Syrian National Council member Jamal al-Wadi poured scorn on the al Qaeda theory blaming Bashar al Assad's forces.
    "If this al Qaeda is only targeting civilians but no one else, then it means this al Qaeda is organised by the regime and even the regime itself is al Qaeda," said Jamal al-Wadi.
    "We have evidence that people who are in custody were at the blast scene with their hands tied. So did terrorists tie their own hands and put them there or did the [President Bashar al-] Assad regime?" he added.
    Syria's foreign ministry urged the U.N. Security Council to combat countries supporting such violence. Al-Wadi wants a full investigation into the attacks.
    "We ask for United Nations to not only to condemn the bombings but to establish an investigative unit to find out who were behind those attacks," said al-Wadi.
    The two near-simultaneous suicide car bombs in Damascus' al-Qazaz district were the deadliest attacks in the Syrian capital since an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began 14 months ago.
    The blasts further shredded a ceasefire that was declared by international mediator Kofi Annan on April 12 but that has failed to halt bloodshed pitting Assad's security forces against peaceful demonstrators and an array of armed insurgents.
    Opposition leaders said Annan's peace plan was dead, while Western powers insisted it remained the best way forward.
    Annan condemned the "abhorrent" bombings and urged all parties to halt violence and protect civilians.
    The White House and the United Nations also condemned the attacks, for which there was no claim of responsibility.
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