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President Bashar Al-Assad full interview with
the Lebanese al-Manar TV
Video and TranscriptMay 31, 2013 "Information Clearing House" - Israel's support of the terrorists was for
two purposes. The first is to stifle the resistance; the second is to strike the Syrian air
defense systems. It is not interested in anything else.
Following is the full text of the interview: May 30,2013
Al-Manar: In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Assalamu Alaikum.
Bloodshed in Syria continues unabated. This is the only constant over which there is
little disagreement between those loyal to the Syrian state and those opposed to it.
However, there is no common ground over the other constants and details two years
into the current crisis. At the time, a great deal was said about the imminent fall of
the regime. Deadlines were set and missed; and all those bets were lost. Today,
we are here in the heart of Damascus, enjoying the hospitality of a president
who has become a source of consternation to many of his opponents who are still
unable to understand the equations that have played havoc with their calculations and
prevented his ouster from the Syrian political scene. This unpleasant and unexpected
outcome for his opponents upset their schemes and plots because they didn’t take
into account one self-evident question: what happens if the regime doesn’t fall?
What if President Assad doesn’t leave the Syrian scene? Of course, there are no clear
answers; and the result is more destruction, killing and bloodshed. Today there is talk
of a critical juncture for Syria. The Syrian Army has moved from defense to attack,
achieving one success after another. On a parallel level, stagnant diplomatic waters
have been shaken by discussions over a Geneva 2 conference becoming a recurrent
theme in the statements of all parties. There are many questions which need answers:
political settlement, resorting to the military option to decide the outcome, the Israeli
enemy’s direct interference with the course of events in the current crisis, the new
equations on the Golan Heights, the relationship with opponents and friends.
What is the Syrian leadership’s plan for a way out of a complex and dangerous
crisis whose ramifications have started to spill over into neighboring countries?
It is our great pleasure tonight to put these questions to H. E. President
Bashar al-Assad. Assalamu Alaikum, Mr. President.
President Assad: Assalamu Alaikum. You are most welcome in Damascus.
Al-Manar: Mr. President, we are in the heart of the People’s Palace, two and a half
years into the Syrian crisis. At the time, the bet was that the president and his
regime would be overthrown within weeks. How have you managed to foil the plots
of your opponents and enemies? What is the secret behind this steadfastness?
President Assad: There are a number of factors are involved. One is the Syrian
factor, which thwarted their intentions; the other factor is related to those who
masterminded these scenarios and ended up defeating themselves because they do
not know Syria or understand in detail the situation. They started with the calls of
revolution, but a real revolution requires tangible elements; you cannot create a
revolution simply by paying money. When this approach failed, they shifted to
using sectarian slogans in order to create a division within our society.
Even though they were able to infiltrate certain pockets in Syrian society,
pockets of ignorance and lack of awareness that exist in any society, they were
not able to create this sectarian division. Had they succeeded, Syria would have
been divided up from the beginning. They also fell into their own trap by trying to
promote the notion that this was a struggle to maintain power rather than a struggle
for national sovereignty. No one would fight and martyr themselves in order to
secure power for anyone else.
Al-Manar: In the battle for the homeland, it seems that the Syrian leadership,
and after two and a half years, is making progress on the battlefield. And here
if I might ask you, why have you chosen to move from defense to attack?
And don’t you think that you have been late in taking the decision to go on the
offensive, and consequently incurred heavy losses, if we take of Al-Qseir as an example.
President Assad: It is not a question of defense or attack. Every battle has its
own tactics. From the beginning, we did not deal with each situation from a
military perspective alone. We also factored in the social and political aspects as
well - many Syrians were misled in the beginning and there were many friendly
countries that didn’t understand the domestic dynamics. Your actions will differ
according to how much consensus there is over a particular issue. There is no
doubt that as events have unfolded Syrians have been able to better understand
the situation and what is really at stake. This has helped the Armed Forces
to better carry out their duties and achieve results. So, what is happening now is
not a shift in tactic from defense to attack, but rather a shift in the balance of power
in favor of the Armed Forces.
Al-Manar: How has this balance been tipped, Mr. President? Syria is being criticized
for asking for the assistance of foreign fighters,
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