Assad, Assad, Assad!

DAMASCUS,(SANA)_ President Bashar al-Assad gave an interview to the American TV station CBS. The full text of the interview:

Journalist: Mr. President, first of all, I would like to thank you very much for sitting down with us. We are very appreciative. We as you know, are focusing on Iraq this week in advance of a major report that will be delivered to Congress. US officials have said 80 percent of al-Qaeda suicide bombers in Iraq have entered through Syria at a rate of 60-80 every month. What have you done to crack down on this problem?

President Assad: There are all false allegations. Who are those people? What are their names r links with any Syrian? There where you should cooperate on fighting al-Qaeda and the terrorists. All these allegations are jut to divert the attention of the people that the problem is related to al-Qaeda and not political problem. While the fact of the matter is that it is a political problem in Iraq.

Journalist: So, you are denying that any suicide bombers or terrorists in Iraq are coming through your country?

President Assad: No, this is not the issue, because no country in the world can seal its borders and the example is your borders with Mexico. Nobody can seal their borders, but there is a difference between saying 80 percent and having some smuggling. Some smuggling is possible on any border as you can not have one hundred percent control!!.

Journalist : We are not talking about smuggling, Mr. President; we are talking about terrorists crossing the border into Iraq and killing many people.

President Assad: Exactly, it is smuggling because they have to cross the borders illegally, so it is smuggling. They have to cross the borders illegally not legally unless they have a normal ID, and nobody can know them so they can cross it normally. But this is not the issue; the issue is related to the cooperation between the intelligence in the two countries. They said they have 80 percent and this means that they know the numbers, the names and who they are! So why do not they send us the information to know if those people cross our borders or not! Otherwise, nobody can tell if they cross our borders or not!

Journalist: General Petraeus told me that you have taken steps to control the borders more carefully, so clearly you acknowledge this is
a problem . What steps have you taken?

President Assad: It is an old problem. It ahs been thirty years since Saddam was Vice President; and we had this army because there was smuggling of terrorists toward Syria in the seventies! We had an army to foster the borders but we took other steps to strengthen our presence and control the border. The other side of the story is what do those terrorists do in Iraq? They kill civilians and create chaos. But what interest does Syria have in chaos in Iraq? Chaos is contagious and if we cause chaos in Iraq, then it means we are working against our interests! That is why we do our best to control our borders, first of all for the Syrians, second for the Iraqis and third for the whole region. But to talk about 80 percent this is just general words and has no concrete evidence!

Journalist: While US officials and US intelligence have determined that you are saying they are wrong!

President Assad: They have to send us the names. This how we say they are right!

Journalist: you say that chaos does not work to Syria's advantage; does that means you support a stable and democratic Iraq?

President Assad: Definitely, and for our interests in the first degree and for Iraq's interest secondly; otherwise the whole region and later maybe the rest of the world will be indirectly suffering but we will be the first to pay the price and we are paying the price of chaos in Iraq today. So why not work if it is for our own interest?! This is definite and this is the public position of Syrian policy.

Journalist: So you support the US efforts to help establish democracy in Iraq?

President Assad: If they do, but they do not do it. If there are efforts, but they only talk about the military side in terms of the number of soldiers and raising up the number of the forces on the ground. That is all what they are talking about. There is not serious political process supported by the Americans so far.

Journalist: When I was in Iraq, President Bus and his other top officials were meeting with Prime Minister, Maliki and his top leaders trying to move democracy forward; why are you saying that there is no political process going on?

President Assad: We are talking about the results. It is getting worse every day and nothing is better. Sometimes it gets better but it is like a flash in the pan that immediately disappears and it is transitory. If we talk about the results, the killing is worse than before. Over a million Iraqis have been killed . What about orphans and widows. and amputees, and what about the millions of people who are suffering? So the what is better? We have to be realistic and talk about the results. We do not have to talk about photo opportunity meetings.

Journalist: Let me ask you about the Damascus Airport. It is considered a major point of entry for terrorists going into Iraq and you been highly criticized, Mr. President, for not taking greater action to stop this from happening !Why are not you having control of your airport?

President Assad: It is not related to the airport. This is again another false allegation . They have been harboring this bogus claim for years but actually if the terrorists want to come they do not have to come to the airport as they can cross any border by any means to go to Iraq. They do not have to come through the airport! We do not have any evidence that he terrorists came through borders and if we have any information about a terrorist coming through the legal borders or the airport, we will catch him right away!
Journalist: You are telling me that you have no evidence and no knowledge that terrorists are using Damascus international airport as an entry point and then going to Iraq?

President Assad: No, I did not say that. I wanted to elaborate saying we caught many coming through the airport but most of them do no come through the airport but through illegal borders and we caught them!

Journalists: Why do not you require visas for Arab men coming to Damascus?
President Assad: This is the Syrian policy for decades.
Journalist: But if it is a problem why do not change this Syrian policy?

President Assad: No, because most of the terrorists have regular ID and they will come legally. They will not cross the border illegally. Most of them have their ID but we do not know they are terrorists. How do you know that someone is a terrorist? For example, the 11th of September terrorists used to live in the United States; why did not you catch them? Because you did not know they were terrorists! The same is true for us. We have sleeping cells like many other countries and people who can help them. Even if you want to ask for a visa and you do not know them, you will give him the visa. That is why the visa is not the solution!

Journalist: Let me read an excerpt from an op-Ed that was recently published by Senator Joe Lieberman, " Syrian President Assad can not seriously claim that he is incapable of exercising effective control over the main airport in his capital city. Syria is a police state , with sprawling domestic intelligence and security services. The notion that al-Qaeda recruits are slipping into and through the Damascus Airport unbeknownst to you and others is totally unbelievable. It is therefore time to demand that he Syrian regime stop playing travel agency for al-Qaeda in Iraq.

President Assad: All that is nonsense. Everybody in this world knows that we have been fighting extremists for thirty years when the United States leaders used to cal them holy fighters; we fought them for decades so we will never be their friends for any reason. But again, they have to concentrate on the core issue. The core issue is the war on Iraq. The false decisions, the false allegations , the deception and the wrong policies inside Iraq. This is the reason behind what is going on . Your generals said they expect the number to be 1000-3000 terrorists; but in Iraq you have 26 million Iraqis. How could 1000-3000 create this chaos ? Nobody can believe it! There are other reasons and so this is not the issue. They only concentrate on the trivial issues blaming others, they want to look for escape goats or
for whipping boys. This is their policy. They do not want to confess that they took the wrong decision.

Journalist: I think US military leaders would say the numbers are much higher tan ones you quoted.

President Assad: May be recently, but before it was said it is 1000-3000 and this was in the media . But the number doesn't matter. The issue is different. We have been living here forever and we know the region. The issue is political , the is no political process Iraq and you have to talk about the mistakes the American Administration committed in Iraq before the war, during the war and after the war till today.

Journalist: Let us look forward , do you believe that US troops should withdraw from Iraq?

President Assad: Definitely yes as a principle. As for how and when this is an Iraqi issue; we can not decide it as Syria.

Journalist: Are you concerned Mr. President, that if the US troops do withdraw and do it too precipitously, the country will break out in civil war?

President Assad: We have to take the context of the events ;since the war and after four yeas and a half today every day is getting worse that before. So I can say that the US forces will bring stability to Iraq. This is for sure. Maybe if they leave some day it will get worse but not the debate. As a principle they have to leave.

Journalist: Well if it is worse, I is no good for you!

President Assad: That is what I am going to answer. The main issue is what political process you have in parallel. You have to say that I am going to withdraw and o put a timetable for the withdrawal. In parallel you have to have a political process going with the withdrawal in order not to have this chaos getting worse and getting Iraq stable again. That depends on the political process.

Journalist: Do you not support Prime Minister Maliki?

President Assad: We support any prime minister who works for his country. We have good relations with him. He came to Syria a few weeks ago and we had a very good meeting , but we do not interfere in Iraqi matters.

Journalist: Do you think his government has the potential to be successful?

President Assad : We have to ask the question firs, Do they have the authority to be successful? Do the Americans allow them to do what they have to do? As far as we know according to many Iraqi officials, they do not have the authority. The American lead everything in Iraq so why do they blame any government whether al-Maliki or others?

Journalist: You are saying the prime minister is a puppet of the United States?
President Assad: No, I do not say that but they do no have the full authority, maybe they have been given more authority than before but they are not responsible for the chaos. They are dealing with the results. They did not cause the chaos .That is the difference.

Journalist: Prime Minister Maliki, recently visited Damascus and asked you to arrest a number of prominent members of the former Saddam regime now involved in the insurgency out of Syria and even involved to throw the regime of the prime minister, according to military sources with whom I spoke. Will you arrest them?

President Assad: Of course . Anyone who is involved in a crime in Iraq, we will definitely arrest him.

Journalist: What kind of measures are you taking to do that ?

President Assad : We have our law, but handing over any person to Iraq require that Iraq is independent and not occupied.

Journalist : why can not just arrest them in Syria ?

President Assad: That is what we do of course and they know that we arrested many, we have thousands!

Journalist: you mean insurgents who tried to do things against Prime Minister Malki?
President Assad : it depends on the definition of "insurgents". The Americans call anyone who works against them insurgents. We have a different definition but of course whoever works against Iraqi people is arrested in Syria without any doubt.

Journalist: Do you want to see America succeed in Iraq?

President Assad: That depends once again on the definition. " Succeeding" for us means Iraq is stable. My priority now is stability in Iraq; it does not matter if the United States leaves today or tomorrow. My priority is the Iraqi people and my country. Of course if being successful means political stability we do not have any problem, because we support any country in the world including the United States in succeeding in Iraq.

Journalist: there are more than Iraqi refugees who leave in Syria. What has been the impact of that?

President Assad: Strong impact: on the economy, the infrastructure in Syria and on the mood of the people, which is normal. But the issue in not humanitarian but political. Without the refugees you can not solve the problem inside Iraq. When we embrace them is not from a humanitarian point of view only but from a political point of view.

Journalist: What is gong to happen to them?

President Assad: They have to go back some day to their country and that is why we have to work for the stability. If Iraq is stable they will go back to their country definitely. That is why I said we have an interest in a stable Iraq.

Journalist : Would you welcome them her indefinitely is Iraq is unstable for the years to come?

President Assad : Not indefinitely because we are going to suffer and they are going to suffer. If they come to Syria and Syria is not able to embrace them, they will suffer again. So they will not get any benefit coming from Iraq to Syria.

Journalist : Your government supports a number of militant groups providing them with support or safe havens! Many of these groups such as Hizbollah are considered terrorist organizations, as you know, by the United States. Why do you support them, Mr. President?

President Assad We do not provide safe haven to any one. They have their safe haven among the Lebanese as they are part and parcel of the Lebanese society and Lebanese fabric. So without this society they can not have a safe heaven. This is their strength. As for the support, we have good relations and we support them politically because they have a joust cause.

Journalist : Financially ?

President Assad: No, financially they do not need our help; they can have money from a lot of people from around the Arab and Moslem world and they have extensive support around the region. That is why we support them because they have a just cause as I said.

Journalist : Why? Can you just explain to me why an organization considered a terrorist organization by many people has you support?

President Assad: Yes, but if you want to look at the picture, you have to see it as a whole without taking a small part and say this is the picture. The picture is that the Israelis are attacking the Lebanese on a daily basis, where they have incessant encroachment of the air space every day. Is not that terrorism? They attacked Lebanon last year and killed 1400 Lebanese civilians with no reason. Is not it terrorism? Therefore, if you want to talk about the definitions again or labels, I do not think that we have to talk about them because it is just a waste of time; let us talk about reality. You have people supporting organizations, governments or policies, and we have to deal with these policies, governments and organizations.

Journalists: do you agree with the Iranian President, Ahmadi Najjad that Israel does not have the right to exist?

President Assad: This is freedom of expression; everyone in the world has freedom to express whatever he wants. This is only an expression, but did he take any act? He did not. So, we have to talk about the acts if we want to judge somebody, otherwise he has the right to believe in whatever he wants. But again many Israelis said in the past few years that " we have to wipe out Arabs", and many said that " Arabs are snakes and have to be demolished". So, it is the same; an action and reaction. Therefore, we have to blame Israelis as much we blame others.

Journalist: Having said that, do you agree with President Ahmadi Najjad's statement?

President Assad: We have been asking for peace negotiations for the last fifteen years. So, how do you define that? We have been working for peace with Israel. We have different positions, we have an occupied land and we need the peace with the Israelis to restore our land.

Journalist: The United States and other Arab nations are concerned about the rise of Iran and about that country's capacity to make nuclear weapons, is that something that concerns you?

President Assad: No, Because any country in every place in the world has the right to rise and has the right to play a role regarding the stability, and I think that Iran is very important for the stability of the region and without it there is no stability. But if we talk about the nuclear weapons as peaceful power as they mentioned many time, and according to the international law, then any country in the world has this right to have peaceful nuclear reactors or energy. Therefore, we are not worried about it as long as it is peaceful. On the other hand and from another point of view, we are against any WMD in the Middle East; we had a proposal in the United Nations sine 2003 to make the Middle East a zone free of WMDs, but the United States of America stood against that proposal. Our position is that we are against any WMD in the Middle East.

Journalist: Why do you allowed Iran to supply weapons to Hezbollah through Syria? Are you concerned that as a result of your policies you have become isolated and your only strategic partner in the region is now Iraq?

President Assad: No, this is not true. We never allow Iran to bring armaments or missiles to Hezbollah. What is the evidence? They have been talking about that for the last year, and you know there are a lot of Israeli drones over the Lebanese territory and all the intelligence; may be the entire world, on the Syrian-Lebanese borders and they have been talking about that, so I asked them to bring me only one evidence that we sent a single missile to Hezbollah; this is just a false allegation.

Journalist : As you know, a major report will be delivered to the Congress next weak about the state of the surge and the future of the United States in Iraq. If you have an opportunity to testify in front of the United States Congress, what would you say about the situation?

President Assad: of course our position about the war is known, that we were against the war and I told every American official who came to Syria at that time that you are going to win the war, but you are going to fail after the war because you do not know this region. But they turned deaf ears to everything we have said. They committed a lot of political mistakes in addition to the security mistakes, and now they have to announce the withdrawal, to put a timetable and work for the political process. This political process should include the Iraqi national conference not an international one, but with regional and international support including, of course, the United States. Working in Iraq without the help of the regional countries will lead them nowhere, and this is what the Iraqi officials believe in; they believe that they need the help of the regional countries. So, the United States, so far, do not work with even their closest allies. That is why they are not going to succeed. But if they want to succeed, they have to work with others and first of all with the Iraqis.

Journalist : Mr. President, Thank you very much for your time.

President Assad : Thank you for coming.


Ghossoun / A.N. Idelbi
















DAMASCUS,(SANA)_ President Bashar al-Assad gave an interview to the American TV station CBS.
The full text of the interview:

Journalist: Mr. President, first of all, I would like to thank you very much for sitting down with us. We are very appreciative. We as you know, are focusing on Iraq this week in advance of a major report that will be delivered to Congress. US officials have said 80 percent of al-Qaeda suicide bombers in Iraq have entered through Syria at a rate of 60-80 every month. What have you done to crack down on this problem?

President Assad: There are all false allegations. Who are those people? What are their names r links with any Syrian? There where you should cooperate on fighting al-Qaeda and the terrorists. All these allegations are jut to divert the attention of the people that the problem is related to al-Qaeda and not political problem. While the fact of the matter is that it is a political problem in Iraq.

Journalist: So, you are denying that any suicide bombers or terrorists in Iraq are coming through your country?

President Assad: No, this is not the issue, because no country in the world can seal its borders and the example is your borders with Mexico. Nobody can seal their borders, but there is a difference between saying 80 percent and having some smuggling. Some smuggling is possible on any border as you can not have one hundred percent control!!.

Journalist : We are not talking about smuggling, Mr. President; we are talking about terrorists crossing the border into Iraq and killing many people.

President Assad: Exactly, it is smuggling because they have to cross the borders illegally, so it is smuggling. They have to cross the borders illegally not legally unless they have a normal ID, and nobody can know them so they can cross it normally. But this is not the issue; the issue is related to the cooperation between the intelligence in the two countries. They said they have 80 percent and this means that they know the numbers, the names and who they are! So why do not they send us the information to know if those people cross our borders or not! Otherwise, nobody can tell if they cross our borders or not!

Journalist: General Petraeus told me that you have taken steps to control the borders more carefully, so clearly you acknowledge this is
a problem . What steps have you taken?

President Assad: It is an old problem. It ahs been thirty years since Saddam was Vice President; and we had this army because there was smuggling of terrorists toward Syria in the seventies! We had an army to foster the borders but we took other steps to strengthen our presence and control the border. The other side of the story is what do those terrorists do in Iraq? They kill civilians and create chaos. But what interest does Syria have in chaos in Iraq? Chaos is contagious and if we cause chaos in Iraq, then it means we are working against our interests! That is why we do our best to control our borders, first of all for the Syrians, second for the Iraqis and third for the whole region. But to talk about 80 percent this is just general words and has no concrete evidence!

Journalist: While US officials and US intelligence have determined that you are saying they are wrong!

President Assad: They have to send us the names. This how we say they are right!

Journalist: you say that chaos does not work to Syria's advantage; does that means you support a stable and democratic Iraq?

President Assad: Definitely, and for our interests in the first degree and for Iraq's interest secondly; otherwise the whole region and later maybe the rest of the world will be indirectly suffering but we will be the first to pay the price and we are paying the price of chaos in Iraq today. So why not work if it is for our own interest?! This is definite and this is the public position of Syrian policy.

Journalist: So you support the US efforts to help establish democracy in Iraq?

President Assad: If they do, but they do not do it. If there are efforts, but they only talk about the military side in terms of the number of soldiers and raising up the number of the forces on the ground. That is all what they are talking about. There is not serious political process supported by the Americans so far.

Journalist: When I was in Iraq, President Bus and his other top officials were meeting with Prime Minister, Maliki and his top leaders trying to move democracy forward; why are you saying that there is no political process going on?

President Assad: We are talking about the results. It is getting worse every day and nothing is better. Sometimes it gets better but it is like a flash in the pan that immediately disappears and it is transitory. If we talk about the results, the killing is worse than before. Over a million Iraqis have been killed . What about orphans and widows. and amputees, and what about the millions of people who are suffering? So the what is better? We have to be realistic and talk about the results. We do not have to talk about photo opportunity meetings.

Journalist: Let me ask you about the Damascus Airport. It is considered a major point of entry for terrorists going into Iraq and you been highly criticized, Mr. President, for not taking greater action to stop this from happening !Why are not you having control of your airport?

President Assad: It is not related to the airport. This is again another false allegation . They have been harboring this bogus claim for years but actually if the terrorists want to come they do not have to come to the airport as they can cross any border by any means to go to Iraq. They do not have to come through the airport! We do not have any evidence that he terrorists came through borders and if we have any information about a terrorist coming through the legal borders or the airport, we will catch him right away!
Journalist: You are telling me that you have no evidence and no knowledge that terrorists are using Damascus international airport as an entry point and then going to Iraq?

President Assad: No, I did not say that. I wanted to elaborate saying we caught many coming through the airport but most of them do no come through the airport but through illegal borders and we caught them!

Journalists: Why do not you require visas for Arab men coming to Damascus?
President Assad: This is the Syrian policy for decades.
Journalist: But if it is a problem why do not change this Syrian policy?

President Assad: No, because most of the terrorists have regular ID and they will come legally. They will not cross the border illegally. Most of them have their ID but we do not know they are terrorists. How do you know that someone is a terrorist? For example, the 11th of September terrorists used to live in the United States; why did not you catch them? Because you did not know they were terrorists! The same is true for us. We have sleeping cells like many other countries and people who can help them. Even if you want to ask for a visa and you do not know them, you will give him the visa. That is why the visa is not the solution!

Journalist: Let me read an excerpt from an op-Ed that was recently published by Senator Joe Lieberman, " Syrian President Assad can not seriously claim that he is incapable of exercising effective control over the main airport in his capital city. Syria is a police state , with sprawling domestic intelligence and security services. The notion that al-Qaeda recruits are slipping into and through the Damascus Airport unbeknownst to you and others is totally unbelievable. It is therefore time to demand that he Syrian regime stop playing travel agency for al-Qaeda in Iraq.

President Assad: All that is nonsense. Everybody in this world knows that we have been fighting extremists for thirty years when the United States leaders used to cal them holy fighters; we fought them for decades so we will never be their friends for any reason. But again, they have to concentrate on the core issue. The core issue is the war on Iraq. The false decisions, the false allegations , the deception and the wrong policies inside Iraq. This is the reason behind what is going on . Your generals said they expect the number to be 1000-3000 terrorists; but in Iraq you have 26 million Iraqis. How could 1000-3000 create this chaos ? Nobody can believe it! There are other reasons and so this is not the issue. They only concentrate on the trivial issues blaming others, they want to look for escape goats or
for whipping boys. This is their policy. They do not want to confess that they took the wrong decision.

Journalist: I think US military leaders would say the numbers are much higher tan ones you quoted.

President Assad: May be recently, but before it was said it is 1000-3000 and this was in the media . But the number doesn't matter. The issue is different. We have been living here forever and we know the region. The issue is political , the is no political process Iraq and you have to talk about the mistakes the American Administration committed in Iraq before the war, during the war and after the war till today.

Journalist: Let us look forward , do you believe that US troops should withdraw from Iraq?

President Assad: Definitely yes as a principle. As for how and when this is an Iraqi issue; we can not decide it as Syria.

Journalist: Are you concerned Mr. President, that if the US troops do withdraw and do it too precipitously, the country will break out in civil war?

President Assad: We have to take the context of the events ;since the war and after four yeas and a half today every day is getting worse that before. So I can say that the US forces will bring stability to Iraq. This is for sure. Maybe if they leave some day it will get worse but not the debate. As a principle they have to leave.

Journalist: Well if it is worse, I is no good for you!

President Assad: That is what I am going to answer. The main issue is what political process you have in parallel. You have to say that I am going to withdraw and o put a timetable for the withdrawal. In parallel you have to have a political process going with the withdrawal in order not to have this chaos getting worse and getting Iraq stable again. That depends on the political process.

Journalist: Do you not support Prime Minister Maliki?

President Assad: We support any prime minister who works for his country. We have good relations with him. He came to Syria a few weeks ago and we had a very good meeting , but we do not interfere in Iraqi matters.

Journalist: Do you think his government has the potential to be successful?

President Assad : We have to ask the question firs, Do they have the authority to be successful? Do the Americans allow them to do what they have to do? As far as we know according to many Iraqi officials, they do not have the authority. The American lead everything in Iraq so why do they blame any government whether al-Maliki or others?

Journalist: You are saying the prime minister is a puppet of the United States?
President Assad: No, I do not say that but they do no have the full authority, maybe they have been given more authority than before but they are not responsible for the chaos. They are dealing with the results. They did not cause the chaos .That is the difference.

Journalist: Prime Minister Maliki, recently visited Damascus and asked you to arrest a number of prominent members of the former Saddam regime now involved in the insurgency out of Syria and even involved to throw the regime of the prime minister, according to military sources with whom I spoke. Will you arrest them?

President Assad: Of course . Anyone who is involved in a crime in Iraq, we will definitely arrest him.

Journalist: What kind of measures are you taking to do that ?

President Assad : We have our law, but handing over any person to Iraq require that Iraq is independent and not occupied.

Journalist : why can not just arrest them in Syria ?

President Assad: That is what we do of course and they know that we arrested many, we have thousands!

Journalist: you mean insurgents who tried to do things against Prime Minister Malki?
President Assad : it depends on the definition of "insurgents". The Americans call anyone who works against them insurgents. We have a different definition but of course whoever works against Iraqi people is arrested in Syria without any doubt.

Journalist: Do you want to see America succeed in Iraq?

President Assad: That depends once again on the definition. " Succeeding" for us means Iraq is stable. My priority now is stability in Iraq; it does not matter if the United States leaves today or tomorrow. My priority is the Iraqi people and my country. Of course if being successful means political stability we do not have any problem, because we support any country in the world including the United States in succeeding in Iraq.

Journalist: there are more than Iraqi refugees who leave in Syria. What has been the impact of that?

President Assad: Strong impact: on the economy, the infrastructure in Syria and on the mood of the people, which is normal. But the issue in not humanitarian but political. Without the refugees you can not solve the problem inside Iraq. When we embrace them is not from a humanitarian point of view only but from a political point of view.

Journalist: What is gong to happen to them?

President Assad: They have to go back some day to their country and that is why we have to work for the stability. If Iraq is stable they will go back to their country definitely. That is why I said we have an interest in a stable Iraq.

Journalist : Would you welcome them her indefinitely is Iraq is unstable for the years to come?

President Assad : Not indefinitely because we are going to suffer and they are going to suffer. If they come to Syria and Syria is not able to embrace them, they will suffer again. So they will not get any benefit coming from Iraq to Syria.

Journalist : Your government supports a number of militant groups providing them with support or safe havens! Many of these groups such as Hizbollah are considered terrorist organizations, as you know, by the United States. Why do you support them, Mr. President?

President Assad We do not provide safe haven to any one. They have their safe haven among the Lebanese as they are part and parcel of the Lebanese society and Lebanese fabric. So without this society they can not have a safe heaven. This is their strength. As for the support, we have good relations and we support them politically because they have a joust cause.

Journalist : Financially ?

President Assad: No, financially they do not need our help; they can have money from a lot of people from around the Arab and Moslem world and they have extensive support around the region. That is why we support them because they have a just cause as I said.

Journalist : Why? Can you just explain to me why an organization considered a terrorist organization by many people has you support?

President Assad: Yes, but if you want to look at the picture, you have to see it as a whole without taking a small part and say this is the picture. The picture is that the Israelis are attacking the Lebanese on a daily basis, where they have incessant encroachment of the air space every day. Is not that terrorism? They attacked Lebanon last year and killed 1400 Lebanese civilians with no reason. Is not it terrorism? Therefore, if you want to talk about the definitions again or labels, I do not think that we have to talk about them because it is just a waste of time; let us talk about reality. You have people supporting organizations, governments or policies, and we have to deal with these policies, governments and organizations.

Journalists: do you agree with the Iranian President, Ahmadi Najjad that Israel does not have the right to exist?

President Assad: This is freedom of expression; everyone in the world has freedom to express whatever he wants. This is only an expression, but did he take any act? He did not. So, we have to talk about the acts if we want to judge somebody, otherwise he has the right to believe in whatever he wants. But again many Israelis said in the past few years that " we have to wipe out Arabs", and many said that " Arabs are snakes and have to be demolished". So, it is the same; an action and reaction. Therefore, we have to blame Israelis as much we blame others.

Journalist: Having said that, do you agree with President Ahmadi Najjad's statement?

President Assad: We have been asking for peace negotiations for the last fifteen years. So, how do you define that? We have been working for peace with Israel. We have different positions, we have an occupied land and we need the peace with the Israelis to restore our land.

Journalist: The United States and other Arab nations are concerned about the rise of Iran and about that country's capacity to make nuclear weapons, is that something that concerns you?

President Assad: No, Because any country in every place in the world has the right to rise and has the right to play a role regarding the stability, and I think that Iran is very important for the stability of the region and without it there is no stability. But if we talk about the nuclear weapons as peaceful power as they mentioned many time, and according to the international law, then any country in the world has this right to have peaceful nuclear reactors or energy. Therefore, we are not worried about it as long as it is peaceful. On the other hand and from another point of view, we are against any WMD in the Middle East; we had a proposal in the United Nations sine 2003 to make the Middle East a zone free of WMDs, but the United States of America stood against that proposal. Our position is that we are against any WMD in the Middle East.

Journalist: Why do you allowed Iran to supply weapons to Hezbollah through Syria? Are you concerned that as a result of your policies you have become isolated and your only strategic partner in the region is now Iraq?

President Assad: No, this is not true. We never allow Iran to bring armaments or missiles to Hezbollah. What is the evidence? They have been talking about that for the last year, and you know there are a lot of Israeli drones over the Lebanese territory and all the intelligence; may be the entire world, on the Syrian-Lebanese borders and they have been talking about that, so I asked them to bring me only one evidence that we sent a single missile to Hezbollah; this is just a false allegation.

Journalist : As you know, a major report will be delivered to the Congress next weak about the state of the surge and the future of the United States in Iraq. If you have an opportunity to testify in front of the United States Congress, what would you say about the situation?

President Assad: of course our position about the war is known, that we were against the war and I told every American official who came to Syria at that time that you are going to win the war, but you are going to fail after the war because you do not know this region. But they turned deaf ears to everything we have said. They committed a lot of political mistakes in addition to the security mistakes, and now they have to announce the withdrawal, to put a timetable and work for the political process. This political process should include the Iraqi national conference not an international one, but with regional and international support including, of course, the United States. Working in Iraq without the help of the regional countries will lead them nowhere, and this is what the Iraqi officials believe in; they believe that they need the help of the regional countries. So, the United States, so far, do not work with even their closest allies. That is why they are not going to succeed. But if they want to succeed, they have to work with others and first of all with the Iraqis.

Journalist : Mr. President, Thank you very much for your time.

President Assad : Thank you for coming.


Ghossoun / A.N. Idelbi