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What Does Assad Really Think about Syria's Civil War?
A cynical liar or a president fighting for the best interests of his country? As Syria enters its fifth year of conflict, how much responsibility does President Bashar al-Assad believe he bears for his nation’s crisis?
I have been wondering why Bashar al-Assad said something to me that was patently not true.
In the interview that we did in Damascus for the BBC I asked him about the barrel bombs that the Syrian armed forces have been dropping on areas held by rebels, which also happen to be places where civilians live. The barrels contain a lethal cocktail of explosive and projectiles. Assad said that the suggestion barrel bombs were killing civilians was childish.
But there is plenty of video of barrel bombs being dropped and exploding. You can see some of it on the BBC website. And there’s lots of testimony from eye witnesses.
Like many others, I have seen the aftermath of attacks. In my case, it was in Douma, which is a rebel held suburb of Damascus. The explosion wrecked two blocks of flats, opposite each other on either side of a residential street.
Barrel bombs get dropped, not aimed. That makes them an indiscriminate weapon. International humanitarian law tells belligerents to do all they can to protect the lives of civilians. Dropping unguided barrels of explosive doesn’t count as trying very hard.
Source: www.bbc.com