Posted on 02/28/2005 6:33:03 AM PST by anotherview
'We are the key to the solution'
Photo: Reuters
ROME - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview published on Monday that he thought the United States might attack his country, but did not believe a strike was imminent.
Assad told Italy's la Repubblica newspaper that Syria wanted stability in the region, and insisted it had no hand in the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri on Feb. 14 or in a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv on Friday.
Relations between Washington and Damascus, poor for years, have deteriorated further since the killing of Hariri, and the United States has warned it may press for international sanctions against Syria.
"Washington has imposed sanctions on us and isolated us in the past, but each time the circle hasn't closed around us," Assad told la Repubblica.
"If, however, you ask me if I'm expecting an armed attack (from the United States), well I've seen it coming since the end of the war in Iraq. It's from then that tensions have been rising," he added.
Asked if a "settling of scores" was imminent, Assad said: "I don't think so, for now it's just skirmishing. True, the White House language, if looked at in detail, leads one to expect a campaign similar to the one that led up to attack on Iraq."
'We are essential for the peace process'
Rather than viewing Syria as an enemy, Assad said his country was a vital peace partner and force for stability.
"Sooner or later they will realize that we are the key to the solution. We are essential for the peace process, for Iraq. Look, perhaps one day the Americans will come and knock on our door," he was quoted as saying.
The Lebanese opposition has blamed Syria for Hariri's killing and, backed by the United States and former colonial power France, has called for the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon.
Assad rejected accusations of involvement in the killing.
"For us it would be like political suicide," he said.
He also indicated Syria would take its time to withdraw its troops from Lebanon. "From a technical viewpoint, the repatriation (of Syrian forces) could happen within the end of the year. But from a strategic viewpoint, it will only happen if we get serious guarantees. In a word, peace," Assad said.
'Syria has nothing to do with it'
Asked about Israeli accusations that Syria was involved in a suicide bombing at a night club in Tel Aviv on Friday that killed five Advertisement
people, Assad said: "It's a pointlessly offensive accusation. Syria has nothing to do with it."
The Syrian president said the United States had made crucial mistakes in its handling of Iraq following the fall of Baghdad and was trying to blame Damascus for its own failings. He denied accusations that Syria was letting insurgents cross into neighbouring Iraq unhindered and said he had offered to set up joint U.S.-Syrian patrols of the border territory.
Washington had yet to reply, he was quoted as saying.
He added that the U.S. reaction to the Sept. 2001 attacks on its cities had not resolved the root causes of the violence.
"Indeed, a few have been aggravated and first amongst these, the question of stability. From Damascus to Jerusalem up to Islamabad and Kabul, there is one long recruitment front for terror," he said.
Asked what his biggest fear was, Assad said: "The thought of this armed America of today which acts like a superpower with no vision."
Bump
Bump
Assad is a smart man. I have wanted to make a parking lot out of Syria for a very long time. Let's do it sooner rather than later.
forget syria, let's do venezuela.
i'm in a kick ass mood this morning!
He's giving us permission?
GREAT!!!
We recently invaded Afganistan. We marched into and took over Iraq.
Now ... We are attacking North Korea. We are attacking Iran. We are attacking Syria.
Man, we are one BUSY country.
Who needs Allies? We are an entire World War campaign by ourselves!
No vision? Sorry bud, 9/11 was like America getting Lasik for what Islam and punks like you are all about. We see you very clearly now. Please stand still while we adjust our scope.
Bush and Osama decided to settle the war once and for all.
They sat down and decided to settle the whole dispute with one dog fight.
They would have years to breed the best fighting dog in the world, and whichever side's dog won would be entitled to dominate the world.
Osama found the biggest, meanest Doberman and Rottweiler female dogs in the world, and bred them with the meanest Siberian wolves. They selected only the biggest and strongest puppy from the litter, and removed his siblings, which gave him all the milk. After 5 years, they came up with the biggest, meanest dog the world had ever seen.
Its cage needed steel bars that were 5 " thick, and nobody could get near it.
When the day came for the dog fight, Bush showed up with a strange looking animal.
It was a 9 foot long Dachshund.
Everyone felt sorry for Bush, because there was no way that this dog could possibly last 10 seconds with the Afghanistani dog.
When the cages were opened up, the Dachshund came out of its cage, and slowly waddled over towards Osama's dog.
Osama's dog snarled and leaped out of its cage, and charged the American Dachshund.
But when it got close enough to bite, the Dachshund opened its mouth and consumed Osama's dog in one bite.
There was nothing left of his dog at all.
Osama came up to Bush, shaking his head in disbelief.
"We don't understand how this could have happened. We had our best people working for 5 years with the meanest Doberman and Rottweiler female dogs in the world, and the biggest and meanest Siberian wolves."
"That's nothing," said Bush. "We had Michael Jackson's plastic surgeons working for 5 years to make that alligator look like a wiener dog."
GOD BLESS AMERICA
I'm trying to "read between the lines here"..Lots of ways to spin this...is this for domestic, or international consumption?
(Checking Uncle Sam's 'To Do' list)
Why, he's right! It's just after 'rake yard' and just before 'wash windows': 'clean house in Syria'.
Hi ho, hi ho, its off to work we go . . .
Wooooohooooo...job security!
Aw! Let's do both. ;-)
A free Afghanistan, a free Iraq, Arafat's death, reforms around the Muslim/Arab world, rallies in Iran, uprising in Lebanon, and so on...The Syrian terrorist regime is very, very nervous and frightened.
And you are a Busy Troll...
ROTFLMCO!
And what was Saddam half brother doing in Syria? In fact Syria surrendered him yesterday to the Iraqis wishing that the US will not pressure them further to leave Lebanon, of course this time they are fatally mistaken in their wishes.
Syria is not getting the point that President Bush is "very determined" in changing the whole Middle East for more freedom and democracy and the Syrian Baath terrorist regime is great problem for this change.
Heeeheeee....couldn't resist.
If the Lebanese don't beat us to it.
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