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President Bashar al-Assad gave a speech to Rossiya 24 TV channel. Following is the full transcript of the interview largely focusing on the issue of chemical weapons

Interviewer: Why did Syria agree to the Russian initiative which proposes handing over its chemical weapons to the international community? Why so rapidly?

President al-Assad: Over 10 years ago, Syria presented the UN with a proposal for a WMD-Free Middle East; this was because the region is turbulent and has been immersed in wars for decades. Thus removing unconventional weapons would be rational in order to enhance stability, at that particular time the U.S hindered the proposal.

Firstly, in principle we strive for peace and stability therefore we do not perceive the existence of WMD’s in the Middle East to have any positive effect. Secondly, in relation to current developments, Syria as a state genuinely seeks to avert another war of lunacy on itself and countries in the region, contrary to the efforts of warmongers in the U.S who seek to inflame a regional war. We continue to pay the price of U.S wars, be it in geographically distant Afghanistan or neighbouring Iraq. We believe that a war on Syria shall be destructive to the region and embroil it in a quagmire of instability for decades or generations to come. Thirdly, and most remarkably, what was most encouraging was the Russian initiative itself, without which we would not have been able to pursue this path.

Our relations with Russia are founded on trust which grew during the crisis throughout the last two and a half years. The fact that Russia has proven itself to have an insight into events in the region with high credibility as a reliable major power encouraged Syria to work towards signing the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Interviewer: For example, the American President Barack Obama and his Secretary of State John Kerry stated that Syria’s acceptance of the Russian initiative to place the chemical weapons under international observation only derived from threat of missile strikes. Is this true?

President al-Assad: This is American propaganda; Kerry, Obama and the American administration seek to appear victorious, as if their threats yielded success. This is insignificant to us; what matters is for the decision to be based on Syria’s convictions and a significant Russian role. Only weeks ago, the American threats of a military strike were not for disarming Syria of WMDs, but based on American allegations regarding the use of chemical weapons. The Americans began to mention this not before, but after the G20 summit. Furthermore the main catalyst in this move was the Russian initiative alongside our discussions with Russian officials. Without the Russian initiative, the matter would not have been deliberated with any other country.

Interviewer: Yesterday, statements circulated that Russia presented the US a plan for fulfilling the initiative on international control of Syrian chemical weapons. Would Your Excellency please explain what was discussed in terms of proposed steps?

President al-Assad: Over the forthcoming days, Syria shall send letters to the UN and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons with the technical records necessary to sign the convention. Subsequently, work shall commence to sign the anti-chemical weapons convention which prohibits its production, storage or usage. I believe the agreement will come into effect a month after signing it and Syria will start submitting data regarding its chemical weapons stockpile to international organizations.

These are standard procedures which we shall adhere to, however it does not mean that Syria will sign the documents, fulfil the obligations and that’s it. It is a bilateral process aimed principally at making the US cease pursuing its policy of aggression against Syria and proceed in compliance with the Russian initiative. When we see the US genuinely working towards stability in the region and stop threatening, striving to attack, and delivering arms to terrorists then we will believe that the necessary processes can be finalised. From a Syrian perspective, we perceive that this is achievable and can be implemented; however this is not a single-track process. The only country capable of undertaking this role is Russia, due to the absence of trust and contact between us and the Americans.

Interviewer: Were the initiative to be implemented, which international body would the Syrian Arab Republic favour as the Organisation to control the chemical weapons? The situation in Syria is hardly ordinary.

President al-Assad: We believe that the logical and appropriate body is the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. It is the only organisation that has the capability and experts which oversaw the implementation of this convention in all countries.

Interviewer: We all comprehend that Israel signed but has never ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention. Will Syria demand that Israel fulfils this requirement?

President a-Assad: When we proposed a project on the elimination of WMDs in the region, the US opposed it; one of the reasons was to allow Israel to possess such weapons. If we desire stability in the Middle East, all countries in the region should adhere to these agreements, and Israel is the first that should do so, since Israel has nuclear, chemical, biological and other types of weapons of mass destruction. No country should possess weapons of mass destruction. That would protect the region and the world from devastating and expensive wars in future.

Interviewer: Syria will hand over its chemical weapons to international control; however we all know that Russian experts confirmed the use of poisonous chemical substances in Aleppo suburbs by an extremist terrorist group, what is your take on this? What do you suggest to protect Syrians and neighbouring countries from these groups that may launch chemical attacks?

President al-Assad: The incident you cited was in March 2013 when the terrorists launched missiles carrying poisonous chemical materials on civilians in Khan al-Asal near Aleppo and tens were killed. Subsequently, we requested the UN to send a commission of experts to confirm and document what occurred in order to subsequently determine the identity of those responsible for the attack. As it was obvious that the terrorists were responsible, the US hindered the deployment of the commission to Syria.

Therefore, alongside the Russian experts, we submitted all the details and indications to Russia. The evidence confirmed that the attack was perpetrated by the terrorists in Northern Syria. The delegation of experts on chemical weapons – who were in Syria a week ago – are yet to return to implement the agreement we signed with them during their last visit, which stipulates inspecting a number of areas of which was Khan al-Asal was amongst the top. This must be carefully investigated to determine the nature of the materials used, who used them and most importantly which countries provided these poisonous materials to the terrorists and subsequently to hold them accountable.

Interviewer: Mr President, is it possible to confiscate these poisonous materials from the terrorists? Is this feasible?

President al-Assad: This ultimately depends on which countries are connected to the terrorists. All countries claim that they do not cooperate with terrorists, yet we know for certain that the West provides them with logistical support, claiming that it is a non-lethal military support or humanitarian aid.

However, the reality is that the West and particular countries in the region, including Turkey and Saudi Arabia, maintain direct contact with the terrorists and supply them with all measure of arms. We believe that one of these countries has supplied the terrorists with chemical weapons. One would assume that these states can cease supplying the terrorists with such weapons; nevertheless there are terrorists who would never comply. When they have arms and the opportunity to inflict havoc, they would never submit, even to those who provided them with weapons and money.

Interviewer: Mr President, certain American media outlets reported that officers in the Syrian Arab Army on several occasions asked for your permission to use chemical weapons in fighting the armed opposition, you did not approve, however they used these poisonous weapons independently. Is this credible?

President al-Assad: This is a part of American propaganda which spares no effort to justify aggression.

This reminds us of the actions of Collin Powell under George W Bush’s administration ten years ago, when he presented what was claimed as evidence of Saddam Hussein’s possession of WMD’s which was later proven to be false. They are now repeating similar lies; what you quoted amounts to that. The reality is that, firstly, approving the use of chemical weapons was never discussed in Syria by any party. Secondly, the use of such weapons in different countries remains centralised and not at the disposal of the troops. No infantry or armoured divisions would have such armaments. These armaments are used by specialised units. Therefore these lies are neither logical nor credible.

Interviewer: Mr President, very recently, the Congress was presented with what was pronounced as credible and indisputable evidence. There was video proof to prove the American narrative that chemical weapons were used in Eastern Ghouta by the Syrian Army. What is your opinion on this?

President al-Assad: They failed to produce any evidence, not to Congress or the media; hence they did not present any proof to their own people or even to Russia with whom they are currently holding talks or any other country for that matter. It is just mere talk and an extension of American propaganda. Logically it is not conceivable to use WMD’s only hundreds of metres away from your own troops. Those weapons cannot be deployed in residential areas since they would kill tens of thousands; nor when you are making major advances using conventional weapons. The rhetoric used was unconvincing which placed this American administration in a difficult position domestically. They were less skilful than Bush’s administration that could convince part of the world of their lies. This administration could not even persuade its own allies of its lies. Therefore these allegations bear no value; they are unrealistic and un-credible.

Interviewer: Mr President, the last question which I cannot spare since it concerns wider general safety and security. There are Russian specialists and media outlets who reported that terrorists may prepare for chemical attacks against Israel from government controlled areas. As commander in chief do you confirm this information?

President al-Assad: Firstly, since it is certain that chemical materials are owned by terrorist groups and were used against our soldiers and civilians; this denotes that these materials are readily available. Secondly, we comprehend that these terrorist groups, or those who mobilise them, were seeking to provoke an American strike and, prior to that, they had attempted to involve Israel in the Syrian crisis. For the same reason, your proposition is not unlikely; a regional war would create more chaos which would enable these terrorist groups to inflict more destruction and sabotage. This is a genuine challenge since the terrorists do possess these chemical materials and certain countries are supplying them.

END of Interview
Source:
https://www.globalresearch.ca/syria-president-bashar-al-assad-interview-on-chemical-weapons/5349664

Bashar al-Assad: Washington has to stop funding and arming of terrorists in Syria.


While a terrorist leader from Saudi Arabia was killed in military operations by the units of the Syria Arab Army (SAA) in the country, President Bashar al-Assad said in new statements that the U.S. administration in Washington must stop the financial support as well as the arming of the terrorists on Syrian soil.

The Syrian President Bashar al-Assad called on the Obama administration in Washington to stop the arming of the foreign-backed terrorist groups in Syria. Syria’s President also urged Washington to stop the threatening with military force if the United States supports the plan for Syria’s chemical weapons arsenals to put them under an international supervision and is interested that this plan for the chemical weapons will work.

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad said in his recent interview with the Russian TV channel “Russia 24″ also that if Syria sees that the U.S. administration in Washington is really interested in stability and peace in the region of the Middle East and stops the threats with a possible US-led military intervention in Syria as well as Washington has to stop the weapons supplies to the terrorist forces on Syrian soil, in this case, then Syria is able to believe that it “can follow through with the necessary processes.”

Bashar al-Assad also said in the interview with the Russian TV channel “Russia 24” that the U.S. administration should stop its “politics of threats” and that Syria is interested to follow Russias proposal in regards of the chemical weapons stockpiles in the Arab country.

Of course, it is certainly true that any foreign country has to stop the funding and arming of the terrorist groups fighting on Syrian soil against the secular government in Damascus. The financial support and the arms supplies by foreign governments into the hands of religious fanatics and terrorists in Syria has to stop. Only in this case, there is a chance to end the conflict in the Arab country.

The Foreign Minister of Syria, Walid al-Muallem (al-Moallem) said earlier that Syria is ready to sign the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and according to the new statements by the Syrian President al-Assad and the government in the capital Damascus, Syria has already submitted the relevant documents to the United Nations (UN) in order to join the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

Thus, it seems that the Syrian government is actually following Moscow’s initiative under which Syria has to hand over its chemical weapons stockpiles to an international supervision of the United Nations (UN) and to join the known the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) that prohibits the use of these chemical weapons.

The Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem (al-Moallem) as well as Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad have already shown their willingness to join the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and to place the chemical weapons arsenals on Syrian soil under an international control.

Further, the Syrian government in Damascus has pledged to open its chemical storage sites to inspectors and to provide a full disclosure of all its chemical weapons stockpiles immediately. According to the recent developments, it seems that Damascus has already submitted the relevant documents to the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in order to be in line with Russia’s proposal and the four-stage plan by Moscow about the chemical weapons in Syria.

Meanwhile, another Saudi terrorist was eliminated by the Syrian Army. The Saudi national with the alleged name Abu Turab al-Najdi was a leader of an Al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group fighting in Syria against the government of President al-Assad. According to the report, the Saudi Islamist Abu Turab al-Najdi was killed by the united of the Syrian Army in the town of al-Regheh, which is located in the northeast of the Arab country.

It is also reported that the troops of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA9 were able to kill further armed terrorists in battles taking place in the Eastern area of the Syrian city of Deir Ezzor. The terrorist commander from Saudi Arabia, Abu Turab al-Najdi, was killed in these clashes between the Syrian Army and the Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist groups in Deir Ezzor. Abu Turab al-Najdi was the commander of the “el-Forat” terrorist group.

Also a Jordanian terrorist of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front (Jabhat al-Nusra) was killed in the recent military operations by the units of the Syrian Army in the area of Syria’s Daraa. Already yesterday, two Jordanian terrorists were killed by soldiers of the Syrian Army during battles in the area of the Syrian village of Dourin, which is located in the region of Lattakia (Latakia).

Source:
https://www.syrianews.cc/syria-assad-stop-arming-terrorists/

Source: https://www.globalresearch.ca/syria-president-bashar-al-assad-interview-on-chemical-weapons/5349664

    By:John Daniels from WA, Australia on September 15, 2013 @ 6:35 pm
    Assad sounds far more credible than Obama and his 'killing for profit' buddies will ever be. The US needs to focus on its own home grown issues like how to make up to the American people for all the bad things the US military and powermongers have done. 911, 2008 GFC & the many wars over the years are but a few examples of the atrocities the 'puppet handlers' have orchestrated.

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