Social Media Monitor: Explosions in Damascus Continue

A huge explosion shook Damascus on Monday, April 8, killing 15 people and injuring dozens. The blast tore through the Sabe’ Bahrat Square near the Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance, and is the third explosion of this scale since the start of the 2013.

The location of the explosion and heavy security in the area led many opposition supporters to accuse the Syrian government of carrying out the attack in an effort to gain popular sympathy.

Abdel Rahman Matar, who presents himself on his public Facebook profile as a researcher who lives in Damascus, reposted a statement issued by the Free Syrian Army’s Military Council for Damascus suggesting that government security forces orchestrated the explosion. Matar commented:

"…Every time there is a "terrorist" explosion the area in which it happens is fully guarded by checkpoints manned by the regime's forces!! There's only one answer to that: the regime is the party that bears the full responsibility [for these attacks]."
“…Every time there is a “terrorist” explosion the area in which it happens is fully guarded by checkpoints manned by the regime’s forces!! There’s only one answer to that: the regime is the party that bears the full responsibility [for these attacks].”

Julie Khoury-Arnouk, a woman who presents herself on her public Facebook profile as a pharmacist living in Damascus, commented on her Facebook page:

"The sound of a horrible explosion…we wonder…an artillery shell or an explosion...people are still moving around normally. They are used to coexisting with death, taking it lightly…"
“The sound of a horrible explosion…we wonder…an artillery shell or an explosion…people are still moving around normally. They are used to coexisting with death, taking it lightly…”

Khaddam under the spotlight again

Former Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam, who fled Syria in 2005, managed to upset many Kurdish activists when he gave an interview to the Kurdish website Rudaw in which he said that now is not the time to discuss the Kurdish issue.

The deputy Secretary-General of the Kurdish National Council Dilsha Ayo commented on Khaddam’s statement. She accused him of having said that now is not the time to adopt the teaching of either the Kurdish language or the Italian language. The full text of the interview as published by the website in English does not contain such a reference.

"…What is the difference between [current] regime and the one which will follow. Maybe they think we're Italians and not Syrians who have fulfilled their duties in order to topple the regime…"
“…What is the difference between [current] regime and the one which will follow. Maybe they think we’re Italians and not Syrians who have fulfilled their duties in order to topple the regime…”

Kurdish legal activist Mustafa Ismail dismissed Khaddam’s statement because he was a senior member of the Syrian government when it committed massacres and crimes. He Commented on Facebook, saying:

"I only care about statements made by Syrian opposition activists who have a history of struggle against the regime, as for Abdel Halim Khaddam, I don't care about him…the man was a prominent figure of a bloody regime."
“I only care about statements made by Syrian opposition activists who have a history of struggle against the regime, as for Abdel Halim Khaddam, I don’t care about him…the man was a prominent figure of a bloody regime.”

Has the Baath party been buried?

Opposition supporters expressed their joy that they did not have to celebrate the anniversary of the Baath party’s establishment on April 7.

Activist and writer Ghassan Yassin, who lives in Aleppo, wrote a comment on his Facebook page, saying:

"Do you remember the slogan they used to make us chant on this day 'April 7, my comrades, is the anniversary of the great party!' What a great party. It is so great that it disappeared from the start of the revolution... "
“Do you remember the slogan they used to make us chant on this day ‘April 7, my comrades, is the anniversary of the great party!’ What a great party. It is so great that it disappeared from the start of the revolution… “

Ex-member of the Syrian National Council Adib Shishakly joyfully tweeted that the party has been buried forever.

"To hell with the party of murder and theft…on the birthday of the Baath we announce its burial once and forever."
“To hell with the party of murder and theft…on the birthday of the Baath we announce its burial once and forever.”

The celebration was still observed in areas still controlled by the government, as this YouTube video from the coastal city of Tartus shows.

The transitional government yet to be formed

The head of the transitional government Ghassan Hitto has not yet formed his cabinet, despite previous announcements that the formation would occur soon.

Hitto tweeted his future government’s goals in this message:

"The first priority is to topple the regime and rearrange [Syria's] internal affairs, as well as offer relief for the refugees. We won’t forget the expatriates and the renewal of their passports."
“The first priority is to topple the regime and rearrange [Syria’s] internal affairs, as well as offer relief for the refugees. We won’t forget the expatriates and the renewal of their passports.”

Haitham al-Malih, a member of the opposition-led National Coalition, made these promises to his fellow Syrians:

"The duties of the provisional government will include exploiting all the liberated oil and gas sources by selling [this oil and gas] and financing the government's expenditures."
“The duties of the provisional government will include exploiting all the liberated oil and gas sources by selling [this oil and gas] and financing the government’s expenditures.”

Opposition supporters expressed impatience with the differences among political parties over the formation of the cabinet. Nasser Sukkar, a man who describes himself on his public Facebook profile as someone who is originally from Damascus but lives in Saudi Arabia, wrote the following tweet:

"It is probably better not to imagine what awaits us in the future, seeing that at present there's a difference over forming a provisional government of 11 members."
“It is probably better not to imagine what awaits us in the future, seeing that at present there’s a difference over forming a provisional government of 11 members.”