Hezbollah guarded al-Assad during rally appearance - Ahmad Hariri
20/01/2012
By Yousef Diab
http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=1&id=28173

Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat – In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Future
movement Secretary-General Ahmad Hariri stressed that “it is the Syrian
regime who is afraid and confused and anxious, not the Syrian people who
have broken through the barrier of fear and taken the decision of change,
which there can be no retreat from.”

Hariri also claimed that “when Bashar al-Assad appeared in the midst of
supporters in Umayyad Square [in Damascus]…he was being guarded by members
of the Hezbollah security apparatus” adding “this public appearance which
did not last more than three minutes was very similar to the appearance of
[Hezbollah chief] Hassan Nasrallah in front of his supporters during the
Ashoura [celebrations].”

The Future Movement Secretary-General also asserted that “more than 200
cars, in addition to a bus full of passengers, travelled from Lebanon to
Syria, to secure the pro-Assad demonstration during Bashar al-Assad’s
appearance at Umayyad Square” adding “this represents the best evidence
regarding the extent of the trouble that al-Assad and his regime is facing.”

Hariri also stressed that “large regions of Syria are outside of the control
of the regime, and this confirms the seriousness and strength of this
revolution, and that the Syrian people are capable of achieving victory and
reaching freedom, democracy, and a dignified life.”

As for the position of the Future movement – and former Lebanese Prime
Minister Saad Hariri – supporting the proposal made by Qatar to the Arab
League to send an Arab peacekeeping force to Syria, the Future movement
Secretary-General told Asharq Al-Awsat that “there can be no doubt that we
support and are united with the Syrian people…however it is the Syrian
people themselves who must decide their own fate.” He added “when there was
a crisis in Lebanon, the Arab League took a decision to send the Arab
Deterrent Force to Lebanon, and if the Arab League takes the decision to
send such troops to Syria today for the sake of regional stability and to
stop the bloodshed being carried out against the Syrian people…then we
support this.”

He also stressed the necessity of “dealing with the Arab Spring as an
irreversible reality, with the objective of achieving political, economic,
social, and humanitarian reform; moving away from conspiracy theories.” He
added “the problem that these societies have been suffering from for decades
is that there is a [social] class that is accumulating wealth, and another
class that is drowning in poverty.”

Responding to Syrian state television reports that he was responsible for
smuggling arms from Lebanon to the city of Homs, Hariri stressed that such
accusations are “false and without any legitimacy” adding “if the [Syrian]
revolutionaries were armed, the situation [in Syria] would be different.” He
also said that “it is well known that whenever there is any security
disorder in any country, arms trade by those who do have any political
affiliation occurs.”

He also told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the Syrian regime has lost most of its
cards, whether in Iraq or Palestinian, and the only card that it can play
now is the Lebanese card, which it is using as a threat.” He added “this is
why we have called on Lebanon not to be involved in any security
threat…however this does not prevent us from expressing our political
opinion to support the Syrian people.”

Hariri also asserted that “the path is now blocked in front of the Syrian
regime: for the revolutionaries have broken through the barrier of fear, and
the evidence of this is their defacement of images of al-Assad, and their
destruction of statues of him and his father [Hafez al-Assad]. The [Syrian]
protesters are taking to the streets, bear-chested, chanting ‘oh God, we
rely on nobody but you’, and this is a beautiful slogan that reflects the
fact that the Syrian revolutionaries have entered a crucial stage…where they
are now only relying on God and themselves.”

He added “change is Syria has truly occurred, and there are scenarios that
have begun to be put forward regarding how this change will play
out…including the scenario that Bashar al-Assad and the pillars of his
regime will flee the country.” He added “surprise is on the scene, and
anything can happen, just look at how the Libyan regime confronted the
[Libyan] rebels with tanks and missiles…but then suddenly Tripoli and
Misrata fell [to the rebels], and the Gaddafi regime collapsed.”

Answering a question about the Arab League monitors’ mission to Syria,
Hariri told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the experience of the Arab monitors in
Syria failed, because the monitors did not take into account everything that
was happening on the ground due to the harassment they were subject to.
However there is one positive, namely they witnessed the lack of sincerity
and abuses of the al-Assad regime, and we must wait for the new report which
will represent an important turning point, and perhaps result in the
situation being moved to another level.”

He also denied that Saad Hariri’s return to Lebanon is connected with the
collapse, or survival, of the al-Assad regime, saying “this decision is in
his [Saad Hariri’s] hands, and he will determine when the best time for his
return is”