The Syrian rebel faction which has been laying siege to the Damascus airport over the last few weeks announced today that it now considers the airport a “military target” and that any civilians who enter the airport are fair game.
The spokesman for the faction says that the decision is based on the military’s defense of the airport from their previous attempts to seize it, and they say that they have waited to make the declaration to give airlines time to cancel flights into the city.
Many airlines cancelled flights long ago, particularly as the Free Syrian Army (FSA) has insisted civilian aircraft flying anywhere in Syrian airspace are “legitimate” targets. The airport is still used by diplomats trying to negotiate a ceasefire, as well as flights from nations like Russia and Iran, which retain good ties with the Assad government.
While it seems unlikely that rebels could successfully capture and hold the airport at this point, but given some rebel groups’ penchant for suicide bombings the declaration of it as a “fair target” could mean very damaging attacks happening at any time.
Ditz "freedom fighters", rag-tag terrorists are far from the airport as INDEPENDENT news suggest and that means small pockets of mercenaries hiding and terrorizing ordinary citizens,now being mopped up by the legitimate government forces. Reading this article one might get the impression that Damascus airport is deserted, at least according to Ditz, FYI, here is the latest Flight Schedule from Damascus International Airport:
http://www.sana-syria.com/eng/article/473.htm
Seem quite busy to me and as you can see not only from "Russia and Iran" but clearly from Egypt, Iraq and all those gulf monarchies now supporting Al-Qaeda and NATO activities in Syria…
Jason, these are barbarians, they don't know WTF an airport is, they look at it as a site where plains are landing so they think they have to bomb it because they don't se any god written words in any language anywhere, yet they land from the sky…,
No, the FSA didn't say that civilians in the airport are "fair game". It said that any civilians who go into the militarized airport do so at their own risk. Gaining control of airports is important for any army in any war. Here's something from one of your own sources: "Rebels say the airport is a camp for Syrian government soldiers and is the main transit point for weaponry believed to be supplied by Russia and Iran. Nabil al-Amir, a rebel spokesman representing the Damascus Military Council, said that opposition fighters waited two weeks for the airport to be emptied of most civilians and airlines before it was deemed a legitimate target".
Yeah. Shoot down civilian airplanes – – a sure way to win support of Syrians in Assad's camp, right? And America backs these terrorist scum?