Damascus bombs kill dozens as Saudis arm Syrian rebels
al-Akhbar, Mar 17 2012
Two huge bomb blasts killed at least 27 people and wounded almost 100 in central Damascus on Saturday, state media said, as a top Arab diplomat confirmed that Saudi Arabia was arming the Syrian opposition. The early morning attacks, apparently car bombings timed minutes apart, targeted criminal police headquarters in the Duwar al-Jamarek (Customs Roundabout) area and air force intelligence offices in al-Qasaa district, state television said. Wael al-Halaqi said on Syria News, another official television channel:

Twenty-seven people, mostly civilians, were killed and 97 others wounded in the two explosions.

The state broadcaster ran footage of a charred body inside the mangled remains of a smouldering vehicle in Duwar al-Jamarek. The front of a multi-storey building was severely damaged by the impact of the other blast and several cars destroyed. The television broadcast images of wrecked apartments and blood-splattered streets. The first blast struck at 7:30 am. A few minutes later, the second explosion, more powerful, rang out. Commentators on state television blamed Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which have both called for rebels to be armed. A top Arab diplomat said on Saturday that Saudi Arabia is delivering equipment to Syrian rebels in an effort to improve the military power of the opposition to President Bashar Assad’s regime. The diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity:

Saudi military equipment is on its way to Jordan to arm the Free Syrian Army. This is a Saudi initiative to stop the massacres in Syria (sic – RB).

Saudi Arabia has long supported arming the opposition in Syria. In January the Gulf monarchy said it would recognize the Syrian National Council (SNC) as the “official representative” of the Syrian people and last month its foreign minister described supplying weapons to the Free Syrian Army as an “excellent idea.” Saudi’s staunch support for the SNC has proved at odds with many opposition activists inside Syria, who have criticized the group’s lack of representation on the ground. Russia, China and other nations have said the military backing of the rebels was likely to lead to more conflict and push all sides further away from a negotiated settlement