Dubai: After almost three years of conflict, Syrians today are divided on whether a US military strike on Syria is going to be the best option to end the suffering.
While some agree that the strike might bring an end to the Al Assad regime, saying that it is the best of the bad options, others say that the endeavours of the Arab and international communities failed to reach any political compromise with the Al Assad regime as Syrians suffered the brutality of the regime for almost three years.
The US decided to strike Syria following the Al Assad regime’s alleged use of chemical weapons in a Damascus suburb last week resulting in the the death of 1,700 civilians, of whom 70 per cent were children.
Sana Lababidi, from Damascus, said: “I do support a US strike on Syria and I hope it is strong enough to get rid of this brutal regime and end the suffering of the Syrians.”
Two and a half years of regime attacks caused a huge loss of Syrian lives, homelessness and break up of families in addition to widespread destruction.
“I lost my son and am not worried about losing anything else,” said Sana.
“I do believe that the US strike might bring big losses as well, but it is still the best of the bad options.”
Sami Rai, from Latakia, said: “I support the US hitting specific military targets to put an end to Al Assad’s chemical weapons capabilities.”
“Certainly the strike will weaken the Al Assad regime further and will enable the Free Syrian army to expand their territories.”
“But we also hope that Jabhat Al Nusra and Islamic State of Iraq in the Levant take a beating as well,” he said referring to Al Qaida-tied Islamist groups.
“There will be definitely be casualties on the regime side and civilian side but this may end the entire conflict in Syria once and for all.”
Roushan Bouzo, also from Damascus, said: “I agree one hundred per cent with the US strike on Syria.”
“The last two years have proved that military bases in Syria were found to target civilians only, debunking the myth of the regime that these weapons existed to resist Israel.”
“So the strike will save the lives of many Syrians while hundreds are being killed every day. The casualties will be far below the number that the regime targets among innocent Syrians.”
“Bashar Al Assad is launching a brutal attack against the civilians and not against Takferis,” he said, referring to extremist Muslims who declare others as infidels.
Fares Al Khateeb, 34, from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, said: “The US attack will escalate the conflict in Syrian and will drag a lot of unconnected parties into the war.
“The conflict in Syria is an internal one and should be solved by Syrians without the interference of the international community.
“The US strike is an attack on the nation and sovereignty of the state of Syria.
“While the attack will target our military bases that means it will weaken the Syrian army and allow the expansion of Islamists in their territory.”
Hesham Hamrah, from Damascus, said: “I disagree with the US military attack on Syria and there should be another option.”
“I prefer that the intelligence agencies find a strategic plan that manages to assassinate Al Assad.
“This would save the killing of Syrians daily as well as avoid the destruction of our country.”
Fadi Japer, from Deir Al Zor, said: “I am very worried about the reaction of the Syrian regime to the US strike would be. We are watching carefully what is going to happen after the first rocket falls on Syria.
“We don’t support the strike because of any kind of love for the US but because we hate Al Assad.
“The violence perpetrated on Syrians in the last two and half years would make the Syrians even accept the devil to attack Bashar Al Assad’s regime.
“Despite the fact that what the US will strike is an organisation that we paid to protect us from foreign attack. However, it [the organisation] was used with brutality to kill thousand of civilians and disperse millions of others.
“The regime destroyed entire villages and cities and finally Bashar Al Assad used chemical weapons against civilians.”
Yara Suaifan Wadi, from Damascus, said: “ I can’t say I support the US strike on Syria or not. But what I can say is that the strike is a bad but necessary option.
“However, I am sure that this strike will not end Bashar Al Assad but will weaken the entire regime. That means the conflict will go on with more casualties and more destruction.
“What I am optimistic about is that the US strike will fix the course of the action in favour of one side or the other.”
Saleh Sawas, 30, from Aleppo, said: “In spite of the Al Assad regime’s behaviour in past years, I disagree with the US strike on Syria as it is built on conspiracies.
“Any international attack means an aggression and the US strike will bring bigger destruction as well as create a state of panic among Syrians.
“The attack is a settling of scores between the US and the Bashar Al Assad regime which will bring more suffering to Syrians.”
