President al-Assad Gives an Interview to Kuwaiti Newspaper of al-Anba
Saturday, October 07, 2006 - 04:45 PM
With regard to the possibility of war with Israel for the restoration of
occupied Golan, the president said: "Syria expects an Israeli aggression at
any time, and Syria knows that Israel has a powerful army with the direct
support of the United States. Syria will defend itself. Everybody saw how
Hizbullah fighters fought to defend their country. One should be fierce in
defending his country and Syria has begun to prepare herself within the
available potentials, but the solution remains in the peace process which is
not costly."
DAMASCUS, Oct. 7 (SANA - Syrian News Agency)
www.sana.org/eng/21/2006/10/07/73796.htm
President Bashar al-Assad has stressed Syria's desire for consolidating the
Syrian-Egyptian-Saudi axis in support of the Arab causes.
In a comprehensive interview given to the Kuwaiti newspaper 'al-Anba and
published Saturday, President al-Assad talked about Syria's stances towards
the regional and international developments.
Answering a question on the priorities regarding the Arab concerns the
President said:" I think priorities lie in existence of a unified vision
upon of the Arab region's future, particularly after the latest developments
that had happened in our region. I think that top priority now following
Iraq issue and terrorism spreading is stability issue because all of us have
become targeted. and stability is the top priority and this is connected
with the political and security side."
He added that another priority is the economic situation which also is
linked to political and security condition as to the Arab relations as a
whole . I think that all priorities are connected with each other but they
change in accordance with circumstances.
Regarding Syria's position among moderates and extremists, in accordance to
the US Secretary of States classification, President al-Assad rejected the
idea of camps that, as he said, has been created by the Americans." I don't
put my self in camps. I put myself with the Arabs, because some had tried to
show that Syria, through these camps, is out of the Arab camp. any camp is
bad. any camp is rejected, as an Arab I hope that we will not be divided
into camps, "
" I reject to be from the first camp or fromthe second camp. I am from the
Arab camp."
" As Arabs if we have viewpoints this is good thing and must be respected if
we didn't agree on every thing .we are humans and some disagreements remain
between us but through dialogue we bridge the gap. we have to enhance
dialogue and not to be a fuel for the international struggle whether Arab
against Arab or Arab against others,"
On a question whether the meeting of the GCC foreign ministers and those of
Jordan and Egypt was directed against Syria, the president indicated that
Syria did not consider that such a meeting was against Syria and said:" No
on can convince me that these Arab countries met to stand or conspire
against Syria."
The president added that on the contrary we hope that all the Arabs meet
with any one in the world because we expect them to talk about what achieves
the Arab interests, and what the Kuwaiti foreign minister said about
representing Syria at the talks was based on a general rule and there was
not prior coordination.
With regard to the Arab countries stances regarding each other, the
president said that that this is the core of the issue, we should accept to
have differences, and if the Arabs have identical view points there is no
need for them to meet. The Arabs should sit and talks without protocol
because they have the same nature and mentality.
On how the inter-Arab relations should be, the president indicated that the
dialogue among the Arabs should be more comprehensive and accepts the
differences and said: "In my relations with the Emir of Kuwait ,President
Mubarak, or King Abdullah, we do not agree on everything but there is no
problem with this. and if I do not accept the view point of an Arab leader
this do doesn't mean I oppose him personally. And the best thing to do is to
have an informal bilateral or summit meetings among the Arabs and to have a
continued Arab actions and dialogues in order to reach solutions.
On a question regarding Syria's relations with other countries after Syria
has managed to reach very distinguished relations with Turkey, the president
said :"the Syrian-Turkish relations should be the best example to follow and
Syria's principle in this remain unchanged, we always build on what we have
already achieve ,but if some layers were unintentionally destroyed, these
layers should be rebuilt. This is why we do not have progress in our
inter-Arab relations."
Replying a question why Syria has good relations with Turkey and Iran, while
she has not similar relations with some Arab countries, the president said
that Syria is an Arab state but Turkey and Iran have constant consultations
with Syria with regard to issues such as Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq and
terrorism, there are certain bases of dealing and there are similar points
of view among the three countries, although there may be differences in some
details but in the general rule there is agreement.
The president went on to say that that Syria had a conviction that this Arab
situation is due to the lacking of a basis of inter-Arab relations. The
relations have been built on the personal level which is although important
yet they do not replace the level of the state. Syria has good relations
with the rest of the Arab countries. Syria has interests that can not be
relinquished and that is the only thing that Syria cherishes.
Regarding the peace process and Madrid Agreement, the president said that
theoretically 80 percent of the issues were solved and what remained is 20
percent, and the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories doesn't
need more than six months if the Israeli are honest toward the peace
process.
With regard to the current peace initiatives toward the Palestinians without
similar peace initiatives toward Syria, the president said that such a way
is an old American-Israeli game to use a track against another track or
punishing a party for not activating its track. The fact remains the same,
if they want a comprehensive peace and stability, they will need all the
parties involved because no body can replace another.
The president said that the Israelis have difficult internal situation and
they sometimes search for an illusive action toward peace for internal
reasons which have no connection with real peace.
The president added that there are also failures in Iraq and Afghanistan
including projects such as spreading democracy and combating terrorism, and
preemptive wars.
About the need for a mechanism for a real approach for peace, the president
said that will is firstly needed, then there should be a vision, and third a
mechanism, pointing out that the will is the most important for the two
sides to launch the peace process. But the will is still lacking on the
American side which is the cosponsor to the peace process. Former Secretary
of State Colin Powel and the US. president said that they are not interested
in the peace process.
On the Gulf concerns regarding Iran and the Shiite Crescent, the president
said that once again emerges the issues of camps, undoubtedly there are
forces in Lebanon that are connected with the US. embassy and form a camp
which is required to be there. Hizbullah Secretary General, Hassan
Nassrallah was right when he said that he doesn't take orders from Iran or
Syria, because no one can fight for another or blow himself up for the sake
of a cause he has no belief in it, indicating that the western media is
propagating these ideas to isolate Iran in the Arab world.
On a question whether a Gulf state is attacked by Iran, what would be
Syria's position, the president said that late president Hafez al-Assad
replied to this question in the past by saying that he would send his army
in line with the joint defense treaty.
On the Lebanese internal division, the president said that the fear is that
such a division might lead to civil war which may harm Syria and halting the
civil war in Lebanon in 1990 cost Syria a lot of blood and was very costly
for Syria.
The president added that the interests of Lebanon should be more important
than the interests of a certain militias or a person, and therefore they
should not allow anyone to drag them to a civil war, and Syria is working on
that.
With regard to the talks with Lebanese Prime Minister, Fuad Saniora,the
president said that that three invitations were extended to him to visit
Syria, but he did not come.
He indicated that if he meets with Sanioura or any other Lebanese premier,
he will tell him to be the prime minister of Lebanon and not a premier for a
certain bloc, and Syria will remain Lebanon's brother and will extend every
possible help to the Lebanese people since Syria is out of the Lebanese
equation now.
On whether there will be a detente in the relations with Lebanon if the
truth revealed following the investigation of the international committee,
the president said that it is their problem if they link the results of the
investigation with their relations with Syria, pointing out that the
Europeans have realized this and have began to restore their relation with
Syria away from the investigation results.
Regarding Iraq, the president said that what is happening there is a
catastrophe and Syria told the Americans that they would win the war but
would turn Iraq to a real mess and chaos and there would be bad
repercussions on Iraq's neighboring states and even the more distant
nations.
The president said that the only way to save Iraq is to have an Arab
initiative and with an Arab help away from any other forces including the
American troops in Iraq which will not allow an Arab approach to the Iraqi
crisis.
On whether the recent terrorist acts in Syria came form Iraq. The president
confirmed this and said that such acts did not
target the state or the regime but attacked the radio that doesn't share
them their thoughts and attacked the US. embassy and the United Nations
because they wanted to take revenge for what is happening in Iraq.
He pointed out that the terrorists who were Syrian nationals some of them
lived in Saudi Arabia got their weapons from Lebanon and the results of
investigations will soon be announced.
On whether alQaeda is present in Lebanon, the president confirmed this but
indicated that alQaeda has no organization but is a movement and the
terrorist acts that took place in Syria were based on the alQaeda thoughts.
With regard to the possibility of war with Israel for the restoration of
occupied Golan, the president said: "Syria expects an Israeli aggression at
any time, and Syria knows that Israel has a powerful army with the direct
support of the United States. Syria will defend itself. Everybody saw how
Hizbullah fighters fought to defend their country. One should be fierce in
defending his country and Syria has begun to prepare herself within the
available potentials, but the solution remains in the peace process which is
not costly."
Regarding relations with Iraq, the president said that Iraqi President Jalal
Talbani met with Syrian Foreign Minister, Walid Moalem and invited him to
visit Iraq and this visit will be arranged after the holy month of Ramadan.
As for the Iranian influence in Iraq, the president said there is certainly
an Iranian influence in Iraq but such influence is linked to the Iraqi
people who want a link with Iran, such as the case with Lebanon, there are
forces in Lebanon that want to have relations with Syria.
Regarding Syria's relations with Lebanon, the president said : There is no
problem on the official level, but on the popular level there is a problem.
The demonstrations which were staged in Lebanon were considered as denial of
the Syrian blood and there is almost no family in Syria that has not lost a
member in Lebanon's civil war, and even Lebanon has become part of Syria's
cause.
The president said that the Lebanese officials should put all the their
narrow interests aside, because the situation in Lebanon is very dangerous
and no one can stand by Lebanon as Syria does considering its geographic and
historic position and should stop betting on international conditions that
have sabotaged Lebanon for 200 years now, and bet instead on the interior
and surrounding.
Regarding the internal policy, the president said many steps had been taken
on the road of development in spite of the attempts to isolate Syria. There
also steps to have the first political TV satellite channel in Syria soon.
Syria focused mainly on the legislation basis. The priority was given to
economy and Syria has started with political development following the
party's congress last year.
Regarding the axis of moderation that includes Syria, Egypt and Saudi
Arabia, the president said that such a gathering should remain but it is not
a substitute to the Arab countries. Such a gathering is efficient since the
three countries are efficient in the Arab main causes.
The president added that he had always supported such a three way summit but
it was confined to consultations, stressing the importance of such summits
for the joint Arab action.
The president said that on the personal level there is no harm ever done to
him by President Mubarak or King Abdullah, but the three leaders have more
important duties and there are hundreds of million who are affected by their
relation, so that the three leaders are called on to consolidate this three
way axis because after all they will be responsible negatively or
positively.
Ghousson / A.N.Idelbi
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