Syria: Assad Makes University Visit

Syria's President Bashar al Assad makes a university visit amid Israeli airstrikes and allegations of massacres in a coastal city.

敘利亞首都爆炸頻發，敘總統巴沙爾發表公開講話不懼威脅。巴沙爾先是到大馬士革伍麥葉電站慰問工作人員，次日出席大馬士革大學城的大學生紀念像揭像儀式。巴沙爾在揭像儀式上和數千名大學生及遇難的大學生家屬一起悼念了苦難者。

新聞背景：

4月29日，敘利亞總理在大馬士革西部邁宰區險遭爆炸暗殺。有兩人因騎自行車碰到炸彈在邁宰區身亡。4月30日，大馬士革市馬爾扎區的汽車炸彈襲擊造成至少14人死亡。在敘利亞首都大馬士革遭受炸彈襲擊后，敘利亞總統巴沙爾5月1日來到伍麥葉電站看望工作人員，與電力工人共度“五一”國際勞動節。5月3日，巴沙爾出席了為大馬士革大學院內的大學生紀念像舉行的揭像儀式。

以色列多次空襲敘利亞，稱旨在阻止敘利亞向黎巴嫩真主黨武裝運送導彈。針對外界有關美國可能進一步干預敘利亞的猜測，奧巴馬強調，對待化武問題需要謹慎行動，不可草率作出決定。

Moments like this are now rare for President Assad, but for his supporters at least more welcome than ever. Patriotic and defiant in public, an attempt to divert attention from the ongoing turmoil in Syria, that's dragging its neighbors ever closer into the conflicts.

Its borders with Israel have remained quiet for decades, but growing security concerns belied(顯為虛偽；與之矛盾；錯誤描述) this calm. In recent weeks, Israel has been building up its military presence here. And despite the international community's talk of red lines, reports of Israel's latest strike indicated it's perfectly prepared to act alone.

We see, everything that happens right now in Syria, seems this is one of the biggest warehouses for tactical weapon, and for weapons of mass destruction. This is the big threat, and we must be ready for anything may happen here.

This was the aftermath of a similar Israeli strike conducted in January. It was said to be a convoy of anti-aircraft missiles bound for Hezbollah in Lebnon. Officials suggest that the latest incident was targeting a similar shipment - proof that Israel is determined to act, to stop not just chemical but stratigecally important weapons getting into the wrong hands.

This willingness to go it alone(單干) will concern President Obama and the US State Department. They've said that while the latest reports of massacres by Syrian troops are horrific, hard proof of chemical weapon use will be needed before they consider committing it to intervention.

I do not foresee a scenario in which boots on the ground in Syria, American boots on the ground of Syria would not only be good for America but also would be good for Syria.

It's clear that as the violence of Syria civil war rambles on, so too does the international disagreement over how best to respond. And if Israel perceives that the rest of the world is reluctant to step in, its fears of isolation may prompt further unilateral action. The strike may not be the last.

Tom Riner, Sky News, in Jerusalem.