Q&A: ‘Why wouldn’t the regime target civilians with car bombs?’

February 25, 2013

Awad Suleiman is a opponent to the Syrian regime, as well as a columnist and journalist professor. He spoke with SAS News’ Ahmed Kwider from exile in Paris.

Q: The Syrian regime is holding FSA and al-Nusra Front responsible for the bombings. Thoughts?

A: There is no doubt the regime uses these bombings to make that horrible equation. There’s nothing the regime can achieve on the national level, but on an international level I don’t exclude the possibility that several Western countries would take advantage of these bombings without investigating to prevent arming the FSA and enable the regime to last for a longer period that will exhaust and destroy Syria. The opposition has to ask for Arab and UN investigations and see whether the regime will accept them or not.

The regime wants a strong negotiating position by accusing the rebels of terror, especially after Jabhat al-Nusra was listed as a terrorist organization. The regime also tries to benefit from the general phobia of Islamists.

The regime fears any improvement in the relationship between the rebels and the international community, so they carry out terrorist attacks every time the rebels achieve something.

Q: How will this bombing affect the proposed negotiations between the opposition and the government?

A: I don’t think the regime will benefit from these blasts. The international community will either accuse the regime of committing these attacks or doubt their capacity to have control over the capital.

The FSA and the rebels have proved they would not engage in sectarianism, even though the regime has tried everything to drag the Syrians into a sectarian war. There will be no civil war when the regime falls because the majority of Syrians are Sunnis and Sunnis have not killed Alawites or other groups.