"Terrorism Hits Everywhere"

"No solution can be reached with terror except by striking it with an iron fist. There cannot be political action and progress on the political track while terrorism hits everywhere. Terrorism and politics are complete opposites."
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

The Syrian National Coalition, the major political opposition behind the Free Syrian Army's attempts to dislodge the Alawite government of President al-Assad from power in the country is held in huge contempt by this even-tempered, good-natured man of huge intelligence and compassion for his countrymen. They are morally bankrupt, they are "unpatriotic", interested only in attaining positions of power, and grabbing Gulf financing to aid them in achieving their goal.

It is a goal that the high-minded president of this civil-war-torn country asserts will never be achieved. For he has taken the moral high road while they have succumbed to what comes naturally to them, an over-abundance of cruel bloodshed, atrocities, the wholesale destruction of the country's infrastructure. Regretfully, President al-Assad feels forced to agree that military force, not negotiation will end the civil war. What a charming man.

Victory in the central city of Homs has buoyed the president's spirits, however, even though he has been able to take some satisfaction in declaring the political opposition a "failure" that his army is prepared to crush, because they are "terrorists". Human Rights Watch has published its latest report on a number of missile strikes on populated areas of the country, and during which hundreds of civilians were killed.

Hopes for a more peaceful solution to take hold appear to have been dashed, as Western diplomats and United Nations officials who have been going back and forth between the Syrian government and the opposition to attempt to persuade each side to relent and agree to cooperate have once again been dashed; no negotiations remotely possible.

Absolutely deplorable that the opposition has taken Gulf funding. Perfectly reasonable, on the other hand, that the regime is funded by Iran and Iraq, and with Hezbollah fighting alongside the Syrian military, valuable gains have been made on the battlefield, with rebel groups being pushed away from a great portion of the country's centre.

In the process, unfortunately, claiming, infamously, over 100,000 lives. There is also the rather inconvenient reality that Syria's president is wanted for questioning by United Nations investigators on charges of war crimes. President al-Assad is challenging that inconvenience by launching photographs of himself and his wife at public events; benevolent, humble, well-received by loving citizens. A sweet-natured charm offensive.

Syria's photogenic First Lady wearing a pale blue shirt is pictured stirring ingredients into a large pot at a volunteer evening, to hand out food to internally displaced Syrians. And that new report by Human Rights Watch published findings that the Syrian regime has been firing high explosive, ballistic missiles into population centres. After all, it's explicable.

Rebel groups are in all likelihood hiding out within those population centres. So, naturally, ballistic missiles represent an impediment to their remaining there. In the process, unfortunately also striking civilian residents, but what can you do, after all? The regime didn't start the insurrection. But you just cannot satisfy everyone.

"Even if there are fighters in the area, you cannot accurately target them and the impact in some of these cases has been devastating to local civilians."
Ole Solvang, senior emergencies researcher, Human Rights Watch