The Daily Journalist.
Today’s attack which killed mostly civilians, has been atypical because ISIS the jihadist organization held Raqqa since 2013; the city has just been punished by President Bashar Assad. With this offensive the Syrian leader, who massacred civilians since 2011, is trying to demonstrate to the world his status as enemy of “terrorism”.
The group of local activists opponents said ‘Raqqa has being massacred in silence’. The Press Freedom Committee to Protect journalists tweeted this afternoon: “The Syrian regime has launched twelve air strikes on Raqqa. There are dead and wounded, ambulances and noise everywhere.”
Subsequently published pictures of columns of smoke over neighborhoods stressed the death of civilians. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition organization based in London, confirmed the bombing of Raqqa. He added that other offense separates from the official Aleppo aviation, a city that raised a host of organizations. Among them Al Qaeda dispute the government, and killed at least 47 civilians between yesterday and today.
Internet images published yesterday showed a street plunged into chaos among numerous wounded. The last bombing of Assad loyalists on Raqqa dates back to November 2014. On that occasion the Syrian army swept through a popular market and Assad’s troops killed 37 civilians according to the lowest estimates.
This little lavishing attacks against IS, in recent years has been accompanied by a significant loss of ground to the jihadists. In 2014 they lost their last base in Raqqa. Assad’s troops also recently lost Palmira to the jihadist.
The full retreat on the map, with a brand new military support provided by Russia and the international community see it as a lesser evil to Syria compared with the Islamic State. Assad has seen his opportunity to volunteer as a battering ram against IS.
However, when asked by the world’s popular opinion Syrian refugees fleeing the bombings blamed Assad or the Syrian president to start chaos in his country. Since the conflict began in March 2011, Assad’s strategy has been to punish civilians to sow hatred, extremist leaders amnesty in 2011 -as did Hasan Aboud, now leader of the Salafist group Ahrar-al-Sham did with IS.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar, whose only aim was to destabilize the regional enemy, have helped improve the image of Bashar Assad funding his troops among the opposition.
International inaction and time has helped Al-Qaeda restructure. Al-Qaeda is also now fighting a double war with IS and Assad.
The IS is more important and direct threat to the West’s global than the tyrannical Syrian president. Raqqa bombing yesterday, the Syrian leader opened up his rehabilitation in the world arena as a new champion of antiterrorism.
