An exclusive interview of the Syrian President was published by Rossiya-24 (Vesti.ru)
on yesterday evening. The interview was conducted by Yevgeny Poddubny,
who is otherwise only known from his posing in front of tanks and sniper
positions.
The contents of the conversation is mainly the Russian initiative for
the “partial-disarming” of Syria, as it was designated by somebody
here.
The following is the interview with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
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Rossiya-24:
Mr. President, thank you very much for giving the TV channel
Rossiya-24 the opportunity for this interview. The most important
question at the beginning: Why has Syria agreed with the initiative of
Russia to put the chemical weapons under an international control, and
why came this agreement so quickly?
Bashar al-Assad:
Syria has already presented such a proposal to the UN (United
Nations) over ten years ago – to free the Middle Eastern region of
weapons of mass destruction, in particular, as the region is
characterized by instability and wars have lasted for decades. This all
began many centuries ago.
A removal of weapons of mass destruction from the region will thus
have a direct impact on the stability of the region. The only ones who
have opposed our former attempt were the United States. We do not
appreciate it that there are even weapons of mass destruction in the
Middle East. Our concern has always been the stability and peace of the
region.
This is one of the sides. The other relates to the current situation.
Undoubtedly, the Syrian state is trying every effort that our country
and other countries of the region will not be drawn into another insane
war, which some proponents of a war in the United States want to unleash
in the Middle East.
To this day, we pay the price for the wars that America has
unleashed, for example, in Afghanistan – although this country is very
far from Syria – or in Iraq – this is now again in our immediate
neighbourhood.
I have the opinion that any war against Syria will be a war that will
badly affect the entire region, so that the Middle East will enter a
period of instability and problems for decades. This means that also the
future generations will have to do with it.
The third and most important reason is the fact of the Russian
proposal by itself. Would there be no initiative, it would be very
difficult for Syria to move around into this direction. Our relations
with Russia are based on a mutual trust, and that trust has only
increased during the time of the Syrian crisis, so within the last two
and a half years. Russia has confirmed through its actions that it
understands very well what is happening in our region, Russia gave a
proof of its reliability and it confirmed that it is a serious power, on
which one can count on.
All these reasons have induced Syria to sign the Convention on the prohibition of chemical weapons.
Rossiya-24:
The President of the United States, Mr. Obama, and U.S. Secretary of
State Kerry are of the opinion that Syria has decided to put its
chemical weapons under an international control only for the reason of
the immediate threat of a missile attack. Is that really so?
Bashar al-Assad:
If we think about the events in relation to the U.S. threats, which
existed in the past weeks, these threats had certainly not the aim of
the securing of the chemical weapons. These threats were based on a
provocation, carried out by the use of chemical weapons in a suburb of
Damascus, Al-Ghouta.
This provocation was organized by the U.S. leadership. In other
words, no one has threatened us in order to force the surrender of the
chemical weapons. So that’s not true. The Americans have only begun
after the G20 summit in Russia to speak about such a turn. What has us
actually now caused to make this a step, so it is really only the
Russian initiative and the related negotiations we have had with the
Russian side.
I would like to underline it again that, if there would not be this
Russian initiative, we would even not discuss this issue with any other
side. So, this is a kind of American propaganda, as Kerry and his
leadership, including Obama, always want to come out as the winners, who
have achieved the results by the use of threats. But that does not
interest us.
Rossiya-24:
Yesterday, it was to hear that Russia has submitted a stage plan for
the handover of the chemical weapons under international supervision to
the United States. What mechanisms are envisaged for the realization of
this process?
Bashar al-Assad:
Of course, Syria will turn to the United Nations (UN) and the
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in the coming days.
Included in this are then documents of a technical nature which are
necessary for the signing of the agreement. The work begins afterwards
and should ultimately lead to the signing of the Chemical Weapons
Convention.
This convention includes a plurality of points. One of them concerns
the prohibition of the production of chemical weapons, and there is also
a ban on the storage and use. Thereafter, the Convention shall enter
into force. In my view, the validity of the agreement begins one month
after signing, and Syria will begin to transmit data on its holdings of
chemical weapons to the international organization. These are standard
processes, which are provided, and we will also stick to it.
I want to express myself clearly for everyone: these mechanisms will
not function one-sided. It just does not mean that Syria signs the
documents, fulfils the conditions of the process, and that`s it. It is a
two-way process, which aims primarily on the situation that the United
States stops its policy of threats against Syria, just as it also
depends on the extent to which the Russian proposal is implemented.
As soon as we have convinced ourselves that the United States are
really interested in a stability in our region and stops its threats and
efforts for a raid of Syria, likewise cease the arms supplies to the
terrorists, then we will assume that the necessary processes to the end
can be pursued, that it is effective and acceptable for Syria.
But these are, as I said, no mechanisms that are only to use from one
side. Russia has a very important role to play in this, because we have
no confidence and also no connections to the United States. Russia is
the only country that could take on this role.
Rossiya-24:
Let’s move on with the topic of the implementation of this Russian
initiative: what for an international organization should be the
structure in the Syrian Arab Republic that takes over the control above
the Syrian chemical weapons? We have not to handle a standard situation
here.
Bashar al-Assad:
We think that a logical structure appropriate for this role is the
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, because this
organization is the only with the appropriate specialists in this area
and also monitors the compliance of the Chemical Weapons Convention in
all countries of the world.
We all know that Israel has signed the Chemical Weapons Convention
but not yet ratified. Syria will demand it and insist that Israel will
finally implement its signing of the Convention.
When we formerly had introduced a project about the abolition of
weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, the United States had
impeded this project. One of the reasons for this was that Israel should
be further allowed to be in possess of such weapons. If we wish
stability for the Middle East, all countries must adhere to the
Convention.
And the first of the countries, which has to adhere it, is Israel,
because Israel has nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, and
generally any kind of mass destruction. We must continue to ensure that
no country has such weapons. This alone protects us against possible
upcoming, devastating and costly wars – not only in the Middle East but
throughout the world.
Rossiya-24:
Syria hands over its chemical weapons to an international control.
Although we already do know for sure: Russian experts have proven it
that chemical weapons were used by rebels from a radical group –
therefore, by terrorists – in a suburb of Aleppo.
What has to be done in your opinion in order to protect both the
people of Syria and the people in the neighbouring countries against the
extremists who do not shy away from the use of chemical warfare agents?
Bashar al-Assad:
The incident, which you mean, occurred last March, when the residents
of the territory of Khan al-Assal near Aleppo were shelled by
terrorists with rockets filled with chemical toxins. As a result of this
attack, there were dozens of victims.
We turned to the UN for this reason, so that a commission of experts
will be dispatched to clarify the details of this incident and to
determine which of the parties is responsible for this attack.
Here, the situation is clear for us: it was the work of terrorists.
At that time, the United States have opposed the secondment of experts
to Syria. Consequently, we have worked together with Russian experts and
gave them all the evidence that were available for us. From this
evidence, it became clear that the terrorists, who are operating in
northern Syria, are responsible for this attack.
What is necessary now is the return of the delegation of chemical
weapons experts who were already in Syria about a week ago. They should
return to Syria in order to meet an agreement that were made between us
during their last stay. In this agreement, it is about investigations in
several provinces, primarily in Khan al-Assal.
We need to carefully examine this matter to determine, for example,
the composition of the chemical substances and thereby the country
behind the application. It is equally important to also find out which
countries have given these chemical substances into the hands of
terrorists, so that these countries can finally be brought to justice.
Rossiya-24:
Mr. President, a clarification is still necessary: it is even
realistic to seize all the existing chemical warfare agents in the hands
of the terrorists?
Bashar al-Assad:
That depends on whether those countries, which maintain relations
with the terrorists, will become known. Although all countries speak
about that they do not support terrorists, but we know for sure that the
West provides them with logistical support – and it is allegedly
thereby just about “non-lethal” things or even “humanitarian aid”.
But in the end, the West and some countries of the region – such as
Turkey, Saudi Arabia, formerly also Qatar – have a direct contact to the
terrorists, who they do support with all kinds of weapons. We have the
opinion that it was one of these countries that has provided chemical
weapons for the terrorists. Of course, these countries could cease to
support the terrorists with such weapons or others arms.
But there are even the terrorists who do not listen to any side, and
when they get into the possession of arms and therefore have the
possibility to destroy, they do no more feel obliged to anybody to do
anything, also not to those, who funded and armed them.
Bashar al-Assad
Rossiya-24:
Some American media reported that alleged your officers – so officers
of the Syrian Arab Army – have asked you for the approval to use
chemical weapons in the fight against the armed opposition gangs. You,
Mr. President, are said to have denied this permission. Nonetheless,
these officers are said to have used chemical weapons on their own,
especially in East Ghouta. Is this representation correct, are such
operations even possible in Syria?
Bashar al-Assad:
This is nothing but a facet of American propaganda. Such propaganda
always uses all kinds of lies to justify their own wars. This alleged
conversation is reminiscent of what Colin Powell, under the lead of
George Bush Jr., has done to justify the war against Iraq a little more
than 10 years ago.
They brought evidence and have claimed that it would confirm that
Saddam Hussein produces weapons of mass destruction. It later turned out
that it was a lie. Today they lie in different ways, a variant is the
one you have just mentioned.
The truth is, however, that such a conversation between anyone in
Syria could have never taken place. This type of weapons is centrally
managed (administered) in different countries and armies of the world –
there are no such weapons directly in the hands of the armed forces – in
other words, there are no regular troops that carry along such type of
weapons – neither the land forces, nor the armoured divisions or others.
It is a special type of weapons that would be used by Special Forces.
So this is a completely illogical lie that no one can really believe.
Rossiya-24:
Recently, evidence were presented to the U.S. Congress, which were
described as “convincing” and “indubitably” – video recordings, which
should imply that the chemical weapons in the Damascus suburb of East
Ghouta had been used by the Syrian Army. What can you say about this
American version?
Bashar al-Assad:
They have neither the Congress nor the press and therefore not their
own people even shown one single evidence, as well as not to other
country in the world, not even Russia, which has participated in the
negotiation process. Everything that has happened, were nothing but
words, and even that is a facet of American propaganda.
The logic, however, says that one cannot use weapons of mass
destruction only hundreds of meters away from its own armed forces. One
cannot use weapons of mass destruction in places of residence, because
this would lead to tens of thousands of victims.
Similarly, weapons of mass destruction are not used in the time of
(military) advances or if the success will not fail even with ordinary
types of weapons. Their logic is not convincing. Therefore, the U.S.
leadership is currently in a difficult position. They lie a lot less
professional than it was yet done by the George Bush administration.
The previous U.S. administration has lied, but in their lies, they
knew how they could convince a part of the world of their lies – in
contrast to the current U.S. government, which is not even able to
convince its allies about their lies. All the talk has no meaning. It
lacks any logic and is completely implausible.
Rossiya-24:
The last question I just have to ask, since it concerns the security
of the entire region. Russian media has recently reported that the armed
opposition gangs possibly plan another provocation in which they could
use chemical weapons against Israel, namely from a territory controlled
by the Syrian Arab Army. Have you such an information in your capacity
as commander in chief?
Bashar al-Assad:
It was already confirmed that the terrorist groups have chemical
weapons and they have already been applied in Syria against our soldiers
and civilians. So there are these substances. Furthermore, we know that
these terrorist gangs and those, by which they are controlled, want to
provoke a military attack by the United States.
Previously, they have tried to implicate Israel in the Syrian crisis.
It cannot be ruled out that this information are true and are intended
to serve the mentioned objectives.
If there is war in a region, so the chaos is increasing, but when the
chaos is increasing, it is essential that the territories for terrorist
gangs become more permeable and thus they can cause more damage and
destruction. Such threats are a real challenge, because the terrorists
have chemical weapons, and there are countries that supply them with
these agents.
Rossiya-24:
Thank you for answering our questions!
