Syrian Army Defectors ‘Attack Major Military Base Near Damascus’

Syrian army defectors have attacked a major military base near Damascus, Syrian opposition groups say.

Parts of the notorious Air Force Intelligence building in Harasta were reported to have been destroyed, but there were no reports of casualties.

It would be the Free Syrian Army’s (FSA) most high-profile attack since Syria’s anti-government protests began.

The BBC’s Jonathan Head tells host Marco Werman it’s a sign that events are moving quickly in Syria, and could presage the beginning of something like a civil war.

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Marco Werman: I’m Marco Werman, this is The World. The anti government uprising in Syria may have entered a new phase today. Up to now the uprising had involved mostly unarmed protestors. There were some army defectors, they call themselves the Free Syrian Army, but they seem to lack unity and resources. Today, the defectors challenged that notion. They launched several attacks, including a daring strike on a military intelligence base outside Damascus. The BBC’s Jonathan Head is in neighboring Turkey. He says the attack shows the Free Syrian Army is a force to be reckoned with.

Jonathan Head: It’s the boldest attempt we’ve heard about by this organization. It is very, very close, just literally a couple of miles from central Damascus, and its an attack on a compound of Syrian Air Force intelligence, which is a unit very, very close to the core of the [unknown 0:50] Security forces, which has been very involved in putting down and attacking protestors and the opposition movement. So it carries a lot of symbolic weight. It is also the Free Syrian Army showing they’re able to operate and launch attacks very close to Damascus, where there’s been relatively little of the unrest that we’ve seen in Syria over the past eight months. And it wasn’t just that attack, there were a number of other attacks reported by the opposition today. Again, we can’t confirm them, but they’ve come from a number of opposition forces talking about an ambush of a government checkpoint near Hama, where there has been a lot of trouble. They say there eight government soldiers were killed. All of that adds up a great deal more activity by the Free Syrian Army than we’ve heard of in the last 4 or 5 months that we’ve known of its existence.

Werman: And I’m also intrigued by the Free Syrian Army. Are they based in Damascus?

Head: Well, it’s an interesting point. Physically their commanders are based in Turkey and there’s a somewhat delicate relationship with the Turkish government, which is trying not to be seen as backing an unarmed struggle in Syria. It says it supports peaceful opposition to the government, but it has allowed the commanders of this army, in particular Colonel Riad Al-Assad, who’s been the named commander for the last 2-3 months, to live inside the Turkish border and to give interviews to journalists. But the Free Syrian Army has named in the last few days what it calls a provisional council of eight officers from colonels down to majors, who it says will run their armed insurgency from now on, and they consider their headquarters to be Damascus. Obviously they can’t operate in Damascus that’s so fully in government hands.

Werman: I mean I’ve got to say it marks the boldest face so far of any opposition to President Assad. What kind of reaction has this attack gotten from Syrians in the street?

Head: Why I suppose it depends on what side you’re on. We can’t see anything that isn’t to some degree choreographed in Syria. There have been some very strong protests in support of President Assad, some very angry ones against governments they perceive have turned on them. Turkey recently, Morocco, Jordan, all the neighbors that are now involved in this diplomatic initiative with the Arab League to isolate Syria. And at the same time of course, we have seen these very passionate shows of defiance against President Assad by mostly unarmed protestors for months now, at terrible cost to themselves. And you do now see more and more of the video that’s smuggled out. You do see young men carrying weapons. Obviously, some weapons are getting through to them. The Free Syrian Army say that all the various armed groups that are forming themselves do come under their umbrella. I suspect it’s a bit more chaotic than that.

Werman: Now all of this is happening while the Arab League of Foreign Ministers are meeting in Morocco. You’re in Turkey, Jonathan Head, and Turkey isn’t a member of the Arab League, but it is attending this meeting. How did it find its way into that meeting and what’s its role turning out to be?

Head: Turkey is making it clear that the Arab League has to take the lead in diplomatic initiatives. It’s very aware that it can’t be seen to try and grab the lead itself. But the Arab League I think realizes Turkey has to be brought on board, so the two of them are coordinating very closely. Both are talking to the opposition now about the transition period. They realize that President Assad probably will go, but it could be very chaotic. So they’re trying to flush out how the new opposition forces, the Syrian National Council, in particular, will manage what could be a very chaotic transition period. And events could move very quickly from now on, especially if the Arab League goes to the United Nations and we see increased armed clashes inside Syria itself that could presage the beginnings of something like a civil war. That would then force countries on Syria’s border, like Turkey, to take much more assertive action to try and secure their borders, protect civilians, all of this could move very fast now.

Werman: The BBC’s Jonathan Head speaking to us from Istanbul, Turkey.

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