BEIRUT — A rare bombing in Damascus over the weekend could be a sign that Syria is paying a price for moderating its hard-line policies as it tries to boost its international standing.
No one has claimed responsibility for Saturday’s car bombing outside a state security complex that killed 17 people and wounded 14. The Syrians have not directly accused anyone, but state-run newspapers suggested foreign involvement — a veiled reference to northern Lebanon, which has become a hotbed for extremist Sunni Muslims who have been blamed for a string of smaller bombings and attacks against the Syrian government and diplomatic missions in recent years. The main group accused is an offshoot of al-Qaeda.
The Sunni extremists are angry over the tightening of security along Syria’s border with Iraq, which cuts off their routes to the fight against U.S. forces in Iraq. They also oppose the government’s alliance with Shiite Iran and the strict secular nature of the state.
