By James A. Lyons
By arming the rebels, we're aiding al Qaeda
Syrian troops and tanks on Friday drove rebels from a Damascus neighborhood where some of the heaviest of this week's fighting in the capital left cars gutted and fighters' bodies in the streets. More than 300 people were killed in a single day, activists said, as the military struggles to regain momentum after a stunning bombing against the regime's leadership.
Syrian President Bashar Assad attended the swearing-in of his new defense minister Thursday, according to footage shown on state TV, the first sign of the president since an audacious rebel attack the day before struck at the heart of his regime and killed three senior officials.
Chaos reigned in Damascus on Wednesday as rebel forces attacked the heart of the Syrian regime in their most brazen maneuver in the 16-month-old revolt.
The State Department on Wednesday raised concerns that the security apparatus surrounding Syrian President Bashar Assad is beginning to falter after top Syrians were killed in a bombing at the National Security headquarters.
