Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Botched kidnapping: Assad's men in Turkey


Turkey’s state-run Anatolia news agency reported on Wednesday that four Syrians stormed a house in southern Turkish district of Antakya, tied hands of a Syrian opposition figure and attempted to get him back into Syria.

Thankfully, they failed to escape as police clashed with them in a forested area near the Syrian-Turkish border, injuring two and capturing three of them.  

I have no idea why on earth would you risk four of your men to take a dissident lawyer back to the country while there is so much going on inside. Putting this aside, it is surprising how the kidnapping has been done in an amateur way. In such kidnappings, one or two men would do the job. It would be easier if they just knocked the lawyer out instead of tying his hands. In addition, when they left the house, inexperienced Turkish police followed their cars – something they could avoid easily.

Working with Turks on the ground is also dangerous because you never know who could be working for the Turkish police.

If the Syrian regime wanted to get rid of the lawyer, they could infiltrate into Turkey and assassinate him easily, without anyone noticing.

It is amazing how this job has been done in an amateur way. May be the Syrian regime has run out of experienced agents. If not, this is a clear evidence how people loyal to the Syrian regime use brute force to implement what they think is right.