can one do business with an idiot?

And this idiot has been trained in London........Now he runs the country (Syria). No wonder many Syrians think they are on a "run-away locomotive!.........Snooker



AN INTERVIEW WITH BASHAR AL-ASSAD
Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
Special Dispatch, No. 488, March 30, 2003

Syrian President, Bashar Al-Assad, granted an interview on 27 March to the pro-Syrian daily Al-Safir (Lebanon). The interviewer was the editor Talal Salman. The following are excerpts:

'Israel Will Not Be a Legitimate State Even If Peace Is Accomplished'

Assad: "...They [the Americans] removed their masks and said that they wanted oil and that they wanted to re-draw the map of the region in accordance with the Israeli interests. Israel has a vested interest in dividing Iraq into small ethnic, national and ethnic mini-countries, so that Israel could enjoy legitimacy. There are countries in the Middle East with diverse nationalities, but they have social and historic cohesiveness… On the other hand, the [social] structure in Israel is an anomaly. It is a country with one characteristic, which is a religious characteristic. Its democracy stems from this characteristic… Therefore, it is inconceivable that Israel will become a legitimate state even if the peace process is implemented, because its structure deviates from the region's norm, and maybe from the whole world..."

'Israel Controls the American Administration'

Assad: "…Israel is interested in dividing the region on racial, religious, or ethnic basis. The Israeli lobby has clout in the U.S., which means that re-arranging the region and controlling its resources…will serve Israel through its control over the American administration…"

'The Arab Defense Agreement Should Be Implemented'

Assad: "The logical thing is to implement the Arab Defense Agreement. According to this agreement, if an Arab country is invaded, the rest of the Arab countries should defend it. Instead of implementing this agreement, there were those who facilitated the [U.S.-led Iraqi] aggression… The most significant indicator that there is no disaster in Iraq is the fact that there is no exodus [of refugees]. The first lesson that the Iraqi citizen had learned is that displacement and leaving [home] last forever. Therefore the solution is resistance… Today, the Iraqi citizen sees that America is coming and wants to occupy his country and kill him, and he is willing to experience for himself what happened in Palestine"…

'Israel, By Nature, Is Based On Treachery'

Question: The Israeli threats against Syria, Lebanon, and Hizbullah continue, especially these days. What do you make of that especially in regard to the opinion that under the guise of the war against Iraq, Lebanon--and especially Hizbullah --will be targeted?"

Assad: "These threats continue regardless of the war. It would be a mistake to link anything that Israel does to a certain circumstance… None of us and none of the Arabs trust Israel. It is natural that we should always expect an Israeli attack, even when it does not threaten. It should be known that Israel is based on treachery. This is a point to be considered thoroughly. We are dealing with treachery and threats, which accompanied the establishment of Israel. Since its very inception, Israel has been a threat. It is the Israeli nature, and for that Israel was established. Based on this understanding of Israel's nature and role, we should deal with the possibility of protracted aggression…

"Israel does not care about the international public opinion. The U.S. is unable to reign it in; to the contrary, the Israelis are the ones who control [the U.S.] now through their lobby. The most important issue, as far as we are concerned, is that our position is just, and we should explain it... Secondly, we should prepare ourselves to be ready to deal with any Israeli attack. This point does not need any analysis! This is what we have done in Syria throughout history..."
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