PRESIDENT Bashar al-Assad on Sunday stressed that Syria is a sovereign country that will fight terrorism and will freely build relationships with countries in a way that best serves the interests of the Syrian people.
In an interview with the Russian newspaper, Izvestia, President Assad stressed that ‘the majority of those we are fighting are Takfiris, who adopt the al-Qaeda doctrine, in addition to a small number of outlaws.’
On the alleged use of chemical weapons, Assad said that the statements by the US administration, the West and other countries were made with disdain and blatant disrespect of their own public opinion.
He added that ‘there isn’t a body in the world, let alone a superpower, that makes an accusation and then goes about collecting evidence to prove its point.’
The Syrian president stressed that these accusations are completely politicised and come on the back of the advances made by the Syrian Army against the terrorists.
The Izvestia interviewer asked the President what his message was to world leaders.
President al-Assad replied: ‘Today there are many Western politicians, but very few statesmen.
Some of these politicians do not read history or even learn from it, whilst others do not even remember recent events.
‘Have these politicians learned any lessons from the past 50 years at least? Have they not realised that since the Vietnam War, all the wars their predecessors have waged have failed?
‘Have they not learned that they have gained nothing from these wars but the destruction of the countries they fought, which has had a destabilising effect on the Middle East and other parts of the world?
‘Have they not comprehended that all of these wars have not made people in the region appreciate them or believe in their policies?
‘From another perspective, these politicians should know that terrorism is not a winning card you play when it suits you and keep it in your pocket when it doesn’t.
‘Terrorism is like a scorpion; it can unexpectedly sting you at any time. Therefore, you cannot support terrorism in Syria whilst fighting it in Mali; you cannot support terrorism in Chechnya and fight it in Afghanistan.
‘To be very precise, I am referring to the West and not all world leaders.
‘If these western leaders are looking to achieve their interests, they need to listen to their own constituents and to the people in this region rather than seeking to install “puppet” leaders, in the hope that they would be able to deliver their objectives.
‘In doing so, western policy may become more realistic in the region.
‘Our message to the world is straightforward: Syria will never become a Western “puppet” state. We are an independent country; we will fight terrorism and we will freely build relationships with countries in a way that best serves the interests of the Syrian people.’
Interviewer: ‘Recent statements by the American administration and other Western governments have stated that the US has not ruled out military intervention in Syria.
‘In light of this, is it looking more likely that the US would behave in the same way it did in Iraq, in other words look for a pretext for military intervention?’
President al-Assad: ‘This is not the first time that the possibility of military intervention has been raised. From the outset, the US, along with France and Britain, has strived for military intervention in Syria.
‘Unfortunately for them, events took a different course with the balance shifting against their interests in the Security Council despite their numerous attempts to haggle with Russia and China, but to no avail. The negative outcomes that emerged in Libya and Egypt were also not in their favour.
‘All of this made it impossible for them to convince their constituents and the world that they were following sound or successful policies.
‘The situation in Libya also differs to that of Egypt and Tunisia, and Syria as I have said is very different from all these. Each country has a unique situation and applying the same scenario across the board is no longer a plausible option.
‘No doubt they can wage wars, but they cannot predict where they will spread or how they will end. This has led them to realise that all their crafted scenarios have now spiralled out of their control.
‘It is now crystal clear to everybody that what is happening in Syria is not a popular revolution pushing for political reform, but targeted terrorism aimed at destroying the Syrian state.
‘What will they say to their people when pushing for military intervention: we are intervening in Syria to support terrorism against the state?!’
Interviewer: What will America face should it decide on military intervention or on waging a war on Syria? Global powers can wage wars, but can they win them?’
President al-Assad: ‘What it has been confronted with in every war since Vietnam . . . failure. America has waged many wars, but has never been able to achieve its political objectives from any of them.
‘It will also not be able to convince the American people of the benefits of this war, nor will it be able to convince the people in this region of their policies and plans. Global powers can wage wars, but can they win them?’
The Russian interviewer asked: ‘Mr. President, Russia is opposing the US and EU policies, especially with regards to Syria, what would happen were Russia to make a compromise now? Is such a scenario possible?’
President al-Assad: ‘Russian-American relations should not be viewed through the context of the Syrian crisis alone; it should be viewed in a broader and more comprehensive manner.
‘The US presumed that with the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia was perpetually destroyed.
After President Putin took office in the late 90s, Russia began to gradually recover and regain its international position; hence the Cold War began again, but in a different and subtler manner.
‘The US persisted on many fronts: striving to contain Russian interests in the world, attempting to influence the mentality of Russians closer to the West both in terms of culture and aspiration. It worked diligently to eliminate Russia’s vital and powerful role on many fronts, one of which is Syria.
‘You may be wondering, like many Russians, why Russia continues to stand by Syria. It is important to explain this reason to the general public: Russia is not defending President Bashar al-Assad or the Syrian government, since the Syrian people should decide their president and the most suitable political system – this is not the issue.
‘Russia is defending the fundamental principles it has embraced for more than a hundred years, the first of which is independence and the policy of non-interference in internal affairs. Russia itself has suffered and continues to suffer from such interference.
‘Additionally, Russia is defending its legitimate interests in the region.
‘Some superficial analysts narrow these interests to the Port of Tartous, but in reality Russia’s interests are far more significant.
‘Politically speaking, when terrorism strikes Syria, a key country in the region, it would have a direct impact on stability in the Middle East, which would subsequently affect Russia.
‘Unlike many western governments, the Russian leadership fully understands this reality. From a social and cultural perspective, we must not forget the tens of thousands of Syrian-Russian families, which create a social, cultural and humanitarian bridge between our two countries.
‘If Russia were to seek a compromise, as you stipulated, this would have happened one or two years ago when the picture was blurred, even for some Russian officials. Today, the picture is crystal clear. A Russia that didn’t make a compromise back then, would not do so now.’
