Syria’s Attack on Top, GLU Suspends Strike
The fog was cleared, masks were broken, and goals got obvious.
What was said in closed rooms turned into blood and body remains in the capital of steadfastness and resistance.
Strong Damascus is here and there is that black terrorism exported from Washington and some capitals of gold and oil.
As Damascus bled Friday, the message was read and scenes of destruction turned into decisions of unity, determination, and confrontation among the Syrians.
And questions of timing and targets are to have obvious answers if the dictionaries' pages are open on US terrorism not the latest to be resembled in Iraq.
Syria vs. Terrorism
Twin terrorist car explosions struck security facilities in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Friday, killing 44 people and wounding at least 150.
The Syrian Interior Ministry clarified that "a terrorist suicide bomber in a booby-trapped car broke into the main door of the Area Security Branch in Damascus at 10:18 AM."
"One minute later, another suicide bomber drove a booby-trapped GMC 4WD car into the General Intelligence Administration building, also leading to the martyring of security forces personnel and civilian passersby and causing significant material damage," it added.
Stressing that terrorist attacks reveal the true face of the plot targeting Syria and its security and stability at the hands of terrorist tools inside and abroad, the ministry pointed out that "the attacks and the selection of targeted areas have the fingerprints of al-Qaeda."
For his part, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Meqdad inspected the scene of the blasts, and also laid blame on al-Qaeda.
"On the first day after the arrival of the Arab observers, this is the gift we get from the terrorists and al-Qaeda but we are going to do all we can to facilitate the Arab League mission," he said.
Meqdad was accompanied to the bomb site by Arab League assistant secretary general Samir Seif al-Yazal, head of the observer mission's advance team which flew in on Thursday.
In parallel, Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdesi confirmed the attacks were carried out by "terrorists trying to sabotage the will for change in Syria, and followed warnings from Lebanon that al-Qaeda fighters had infiltrated Syria from Lebanese territory."
Reflecting the same view, "al-Akhbar" Lebanese paper quoted Saturday Syrian sources that uncovered that "Damascus's quick accuse of al-Qaeda was based on prior information, derived from several sources, including the Lebanese government regarding the infiltration of al-Qaeda members to Syria."
"Damascus received the most important information from Tehran, which carried the same content to both Lebanon and Iraq unveiling that Baghdad, Damascus and Beirut will sink in blood based on US instructions," the paper added.
According to the Lebanese daily, the well-informed Iranian sources said that "the Iranian authorities arrested some time ago one of the top leaders of al-Qaeda, who was on his way from Afghanistan to Baghdad."
"The man's laptop carried plans for operations in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq," "al-Akhbar" sources revealed pointing out that "the detainee admitted that that he is an infiltrated US security key."
"Washington was betting on opposition promises of being able to make the Syrian capital sink in demonstrations. However, the events clarified that this opposition is capable on gathering no more than three thousand people; the vast majority of them aren't from Damascus. Therefore, the US moved to the second option, which is the armed action that leads to the undermining of the system and loss of confidence by the Syrians," the daily confirmed.
In Lebanon, President Michel Suleiman condemned the "terrorist bombings in Damascus," saying that "they were aimed at targeting the Arab roadmap intended to resolve the Syrian crisis."
In a telephone conversation with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad, the Lebanese head of state said the bombings which "coincided with the arrival to Syria of an observer mission's advance team aim at targeting the Arab plan that Syria and the Arab League had agreed to."
GLU Suspends Strike
Moving into Lebanese internal affairs, the General Labor Union suspended Friday a general strike scheduled for Dec 27 after the government approved a wage hike plan earlier in the week.
Meanwhile, Labor Minister Charbel Nahhas said he has sent the government decree on wages to the Shura Council Friday but refused to predict whether the council would give its seal of approval for the plan.
"The executive board of the General Labor Confederation has suspended the strike which was scheduled for next Tuesday Dec. 27," the GLU said in a statement released Friday.
Suleiman Activates Dialogue
At another level, President Michel Suleiman is seeking to resume national dialogue between rival political leaders.
Suleiman chaired a meeting Friday of a preparatory body of the National Dialogue Committee at Baabda Palace that assessed the outcome of the committee's previous meetings and the current developments that require the re-launch of the committee's sessions.
The meeting also examined what other topics the committee could discuss, in addition to a national defense strategy for Lebanon, the statement said.
Source: Lebanese newspapers, Translated and Edited by moqawama.org
